In the Blink of an Eye
by AML15
Summary: The story of Booth and Bones and their kids. A little Hodgela and family as well. Cam x OC. How far will a parent go to save their child?
1. Prologue

**Hey, guys. This is one of the new stories I've been working on. I originally wanted to do a story on Booth and Bones with teenagers, but I ended up deciding to start from the beginning so if you like this one, it's gonna be a long one! PLEASE review! I really want to know your opinion. Thanks, guys :-) **

(Sidenote: Hodgins and Angela didn't split up in the beginning of season four, instead they got married once her divorce was finalized. Some of the dates are a little off. The story doesn't really follow the show after season four. Also, Cam is married to a man named Josh Klein but she still has her adopted daughter Michelle. )

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Prologue

**March 2010**

Seeley Booth entered the lab at the Jeffersonian Institution, eyes scanning for his wife. When he didn't see her right away, he walked towards her office. Sure enough, there she was. The sight he saw was enough to make him stop and just watch for a moment. Angela was there with her, talking with her best friend, meanwhile six-month-old William Zachary Hodgins was resting contentedly in Temperance Brennan's arms. Most people would never take Bones for the maternal type, but Booth had witnessed evidence of this. Just watching her treat little William very tenderly and protectively made Booth have thoughts of what it would be like to see Bones with their own little one. It brought a smile to Booth's lips and he started for her office again.

"Hey, Angela." Booth greeted.

"Hey, Booth. How's it going?"

"Not bad. How's this little man doing?" Booth took this opportunity to swipe William from Bones. The chubby little boy looked up at his new holder and, recognizing the face, stuck his thumb in his mouth and rested his head on Booth's shoulder. Angela affectionately brushed her hand over his dark curls.

"He's a little sleepy right now. It's almost time for his nap."

"He can rest in my office if you want. I'm about to leave so he won't be disturbed and you can set up the monitor in here." Brennan offered. Angela accepted, saying she had work to do in her office and was worried about him not being able to sleep through it.

William had everyone on the squint squad wrapped around his little finger, especially his parents, but no one expected Brennan to have such fondness for him. Angela had asked Brennan to be his godmother before he was born and she readily accepted. She always rationalized her love of the baby based on her duty to be a good godmother to him, but Booth knew it was deeper than that.

Booth handed off the tired child to his mother. "See you later, Angela."

Angela said her goodbyes and exited with her little treasure already half-asleep on her.

"I still can't believe Angela can bring him into work all the time." Booth said.

"Angela is very good at her job but she didn't want to be away from William, so she told Cam it was either find her a replacement or let her bring William along. He's a good baby so it hasn't been a problem." Bones replied, grabbing her jacket and purse. "Ready to go?"

"Yes. I'm starving." Booth draped an arm around Bones' shoulders and the two walked out of the Jefferson together. Into Booth's car they climbed and he pulled away with their favorite spot in mind. Bones was aware of the odd glances he kept sending her and finally she asked him about it.

"Its nothing." He said at first.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't keep glancing over at me with an unreadable expression."

"Its nothing. I just enjoy watching you with William. You take very good care of him."

"I have to." Bones reasoned. "He's my godson." Booth smiled to himself. She would always rationalize her feelings for William like that.

"Ok, true. You are his godmother, but you still are a very good one at that. Just accept the compliment for what it is."

Bones smiled a little, trying not to show how pleased she was with is words. "Thank you."

"No problem."

They reached the diner and got out of the car. Booth grabbed the door and held it open for Brennan, following her in after. They seated themselves in a booth across from each other.

"When does Cam get back from her honeymoon?" Booth asked.

"Next week on Thursday." Bones responded and then took a sip of her coffee. Booth nodded and thought about how to broach the subject he wished to talk about.

"Bones, we've been married for a while – " He started. Bones cut in quickly, not giving him a chance to continue.

"On the contrary. We've only been married for five months."

"Still, I feel like we need to discuss something."

"What is it you wanted to discuss?" Bones wondered.

"Well, you know, now that we are married, it just seems like something that should be brought up."

Now Brennan was getting confused. And she didn't get confused very often.

"Would you just say it already?"

"Kids." Booth answered in one word.

"What about them?"

"Oh come on, Bones. You have to know where I'm going with this."

"I don't like to make assumptions so you should just state plainly whatever it is you are getting at."

"Do you want them?"

"Someday, I feel it would be a good thing for me to have a progeny. Genetically speaking, our kids would be very successful in life."

Booth just stared at her for moment. "What?" she asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." He answered. "So you _do_ want kids at some point in the future."

"That is correct. I know you love being a father to Parker and I wouldn't want to deny you the chance to have that again." He had to smile at this. She could be so damn sweet sometimes without realizing it.

"So how far off is 'someday'?" He asked.

"Are you asking me when we should start having kids?"

"Yes, I am."

"Seeley, I don't know. We've only been married for five months."

"Alright, fair enough. As long as it is being considered." He smiled mischievously.

"What's that smile for?" She asked.

"I'll tell you later."

"What? Why not now?"

"I'll tell you later." He repeated.

"Seeley Booth." She said his name threateningly, but didn't follow it up with anything. Their food arrived and Brennan shot him a look that said she _would _find out what he was thinking later.

"I love you, Bones." He said after the waitress walked away.

"If you really loved me, you would tell me what are you were smiling about."

Booth laughed loudly at this, getting some looks from others eating nearby. "Fine!" he said. "If you're going to badger me about it!" He leaned over the table so that what he said would reach her ears only. "I was just thinking that it is going to be a heck of a lot of fun making kids with you, Temperance Brennan."

Bones smiled back at him. "I love you, Booth."

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**Well, what do you think? PLEASE review! I want to know if I should continue...**


	2. Part 1, Chapter 1

**Hey Guys! Here is the next chapter**. **Most of these are going to be sweet little snippets of Booth and Bones' life together. There will be a more detailed story line later on. **

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**Part One: The Early Years** - Chapter One

**November 5, 2010**

Booth opened the back door to his and Bones' home and dropped his keys on the kitchen counter. He kicked off his shoes and hung up his jacket. He searched for his wife, loosening his tie as he walked through the house. The sound of a baby's laughter led him into the guest room. William's portable crib was set up in the corner, but he wasn't in it. Instead, he was lying on the guest bed with Bones. She had his belly exposed and was blowing raspberries on it, making the child burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. It was infection. Bones heard Booth laugh from the entrance of the room and turned to look at him with a beaming expression.

"Hey, Honey. I didn't hear you come in."

"Yeah, I can see you were a little preoccupied." Booth entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at William. "Hey, buddy!" he greeted, extending his hand to tickle William under his chin. The boy smiled widely and giggled.

"Hi." He answered in his sweet little voice. At fourteen months, William had a dark mass of curls on his head that were in desperate need of a trim and a little baby fat that made him very cuddly. His eyes were the same piercing blue as Hodgins' and he was a constant source of energy and curiosity.

"Are you hungry?" Bones asked. "I was just about to make something to eat."

"I'm starving." Booth responded. "What about you, big guy? Are you hungry?"

William nodded his head vigorously. Booth scooped him up and lifted him up in the air, running through the hallway to the kitchen, making jet plane noises the entire way. William was practically screaming with laughter by the end of it. Brennan followed behind them, smiling to herself at the pair those two made.

"What do you feel like eating?" Bones asked, unsure of what she herself wanted.

"Anything is good." Booth answered.

"Pasta?"

"Sure."

Bones started to make dinner while Booth kept William out of trouble. It was Angela and Hodgins' third anniversary so William was staying with them until tomorrow morning. On top of that, there was more happy news. Angela had informed them a few weeks ago that she was pregnant again.

Bones peered into the living room where Booth and William were playing. William had crawled in top of Booth back when he was on his hands and knees and now pretended that Booth was his horse. His little fists gripped the color on Booth's shirt and his feet that barely dangled from the sides gave Booth a little kick. She let the moment sink in; Booth playing with a child, acting like the terrific dad he already was. Her hand went absent-mindedly to her stomach where their own child was growing each moment. She hadn't told him. She'd only known herself for a little while and wasn't sure how to come out with it.

Headlights from a car outside the window caught her attention. She peered out and recognized the car in their driveway. "Booth, Rebecca is here with Parker." She pulled William off of Booth and swung him unto her hip. She went back into the kitchen to check on the pasta while Booth got to his feet and met his nine-year-old son at the front door. He saw Rebecca on the car and gave her a wave as she started to reverse out of their driveway. Parker dropped his overnight bag on the floor and made a beeline for William, his favorite little buddy. William spotted Parker and squealed, reaching for him instantly. Bones handed him off to Parker, telling him to be careful.

"I know." Said Parker, almost grunting under the weight of the little boy. Bones laughed and glanced over at Booth who was shaking his head and smiling too.

"I don't even get a hello any more." Booth complained loud enough for Parker to hear.

"Hi, dad." Parker said, not bothering to turn.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" He asked his son.

"Hey, Bones." Booth smiled at his son's use of Brennan's nickname while she threw a kitchen towel at him. She'd been trying since they were married to get Parker to call her Tempe or Brennan, but he was his father's son and much rather preferred the old nickname.

She turned back the stove, ignoring his looks of triumph over her irritation. He wouldn't let her stay that way though. He came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, unaware that at that moment, he was as close to his unborn child as he could be. He pressed a kiss to her neck and inhaled the smell of her perfume.

"Mmm smells good." He murmured against her skin, tickling the hairs there.

"It'll be ready in a minute." She answered.

"I wasn't talking about the pasta."

Bones smiled and turned her head so she could kiss his temple. "Get some plates." She ordered. He reluctantly stepped away from her and went to the cabinet, grabbing plates and setting them on the dining room table and then going back for glasses and silverware.

"Parker, take William to the bathroom and wash his hands then yours." Booth called into the other. He heard a scamper of feet that confirmed they were doing as they were told.

The boys returned in a quick fashion and soon they all sat down to a nice meal. It was a special treat for Parker to have William with them. Usually weekend dinners were just with his dad and step mom, but it was even better to have a little friend joining them. He didn't have any brothers or sisters, but he wished he did. William was a good enough substitute. By the end of the meal, William was covered in pasta sauce from his face to his feet while Parker was unaware of the sauce that was caked to side of his face and on his chin. Booth sent them to go clean up then collected the dishes and began washing them in the kitchen sink.

Bones and Parker were playing with William in the other, who wasn't showing any signs of being tired yet. Bones hoped he would just ware himself out and crash from all the excitement. Booth seated himself on the couch next to his wife, watching the two boys play on the floor.

"He's going to make a good big brother." Bones said quietly to Booth, holding her breath after she did.

"Yeah, William is going to have fun with a new baby brother or sister."

Bones exhaled, seeing the hint had slipped past him unnoticed.

Parker was in his room getting ready for bed. William had conked out about an hour prior. Bones had laid him down in his crib with his bottle and had practically seen sleep claim him the instant he was down.

Bones sunk onto their bed feeling exhausted and not sure why. She wanted to tell him so bad, but she kept hesitating, unsure of why she couldn't just say it. But it had been two days now and she couldn't bare it any longer. After Booth had checked in on Parker, he climbed in next to her. Instinctively, she reached for him and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck.

"Hey, Seeley?" She asked timidly.

"What's up, Babe?" He wondered, picking up on her tone.

"I need to tell you something." Booth could feel the seriousness of the moment. He pulled away so he could look her in the eye. "Is something wrong?" He asked hurriedly.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just –" She took a deep breath. _Just say it_, she thought to herself. "I'm pregnant."

Even in the dark, she could see his reaction. Shock at first and then joy in its purest, simplest form.

"Are you sure?" He asked in disbelief.

"Hon, I'm very rarely wrong." She told him proudly. For once, he wouldn't fight her on that.

"Oh my god. I can't believe it!" He kissed her fiercely, pulling her as close to him as he could. When the kiss broke, he moved his hand down to her stomach and rested it there. "Hey baby." He whispered. "It's daddy."

"Seeley, a fetus can't hear until –"

"Shhh, Bones. Just humor me." He said, not letting her comment ruin the moment for him. He brought his other hand tenderly to her cheek and framed her face. "I love you, Bones." He whispered. "So much. Are you happy?"

Brennan's face broke into a smile. "Yes, I'm happy." She wrapped her arms around him and settled into him, sighing contentedly. "I'm very happy."

She dropped off to sleep quickly, listening to the steady heartbeat of Booth. Booth wasn't quite so ready to sleep. He was still processing it all. He was going to be a dad again. Only this time there would be no trouble of sharing custody and only seeing this new baby on the weekend. He could be there for all of it. He _would_ be there for all of it. A baby with Bones. If someone had told in the beginning that he and Bones would end up married with a kid on the way all the while living a life of total bliss, he would have thought them insane for the notion. Yet here he was, with the love of his life asleep in his arms while their unborn child rested within her. He couldn't imagine a more perfect moment.

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**Well, what did you think? Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey Guys! Here is the next chapter. Just some silly pregnancy stories. I didn't get any reviews on my last chapter :( **

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'm in a crappy mood and reviews cheer me up. Honestly they do.  
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Chapter Two

**December 2010**

"Who do we tell first?" Booth asked. They were on their way to their first check up with Brennan's pregnancy.

"Who does one normally tell first in this situation? I would assume family." Bones flipped through a magazine while she talked.

"Yeah, that's probably what we should do. So do want to call Russ and your father tonight."

"Shouldn't we tell Parker first?" Bones asked, looking over at Booth. He smiled eagerly.

"I wanted to, but I didn't know if you wanted to tell your family first."

"Parker is your son. He will be the most affected by this since he lives with us a few days a week."

"Not to mention, he'll be the most excited."

Bones smiled. "Yeah, he will be."

"Ok, so Parker, then your dad and Russ, and my pops and Jared, and finally the squints."

"Why do we need a list?" Bones asked with a laugh.

"I'm prioritizing. If you tell the wrong people first, other people could get mad."

"I doubt it. Everybody will find out at some point so why does it matter who hears first?"

Booth shot look of mock annoyance and fell silent. They reached the doctor's office and made their way in. They sat in the waiting room filling out forms when they heard a familiar form.

"Brennan? What are you doing here?" Bones and Booth's head shot up to discover Angela standing in front of them with Hodgins following in behind her with William in his arms.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" He asked, not hearing when Angela asked it moments before.

"Uh." Booth tried to think of what to say.

"I'm pregnant." Bones said honestly.

Angela let out a squeal. "No way. Wait, are you serious? Really?"

"Of course I'm serious." Bones answered.

"Congrats, guys." Hodgins said, shaking hands with Booth. Bones turned to Booth who couldn't believe this had happened.

"So much for the list." She teased.

"Brennan, this is great news." Angela continued. "We get to be pregnant together!" She was positively ecstatic about the while affair. William listened to his mother talk so excitedly and, not wanting to be left out of the happiness he saw going on, he let out one of his quick little squeals. He reached for her and Angela took him.

"Isn't this great, Munchkin? Auntie Brennan is going to have a baby! You get a little brother or sister _and_ a baby cousin."

William just smiled and said his newly acquired word that he had learned last week. "Baby!"

It wasn't long before Bones was called into an examination room while Angela waited for her appointment. Bones was lying on an examining table with Booth standing next to her. They were getting ready to listen to the baby's heartbeat. A quick heartbeat filled the air. Bones looked over at Booth. His face spoke volumes as he listened to his baby's heartbeat. His eyes met Bones' and he couldn't contain his smile. "Well, would you listen to that? That's our baby."

"Daddy? Am I in trouble?" Parker asked as he was asked to sit down with Booth and Bones.

"No, Bub. You're not in trouble. We have some news for you."

Parker's eyebrows perked up. "What kind of news?"

"Well, Bones and I just wanted to tell you that in a few months, you are going to have a baby brother or sister."

Parker gasps excitedly. "Really?"

"Yeah." Booth reached over and pulled his first born into a hug. Parker looked up at Bones sitting next to them and went to give her a hug too.

"I'm happy you're having a baby, Bones." He told her.

"Thanks, Parker. I'm happy too."

**January 2011**

"Daddy, Bones fell asleep on the couch again!" Parker announced to Booth the moment he walked in the door on a Friday afternoon.

"That's because she's really sleepy lately, Bub. You didn't wake her up, did you?"

"No, I left her alone. She gets crabby when I wake her up." Parker said. Booth laughed a little. Bones' mood swing didn't make much sense to Parker. He had no idea what to make of the change in the past few weeks in his step mom who usually had an even temper.

"Go play in your room, Bub." Booth told his son as he headed to the living room where his beautiful, pregnant wife had drifted off. She looked so peaceful and happy. He leaned over her and brushed stray hairs away from her face, pressing a gentle kiss to her brow immediately after. She didn't stir so he slid his arms underneath her and carefully lifted her and carried her top their room, laying her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He left the room, closing the door silently behind him.

**February 2011**

"Bones, I have the food you wanted." Booth said as he walked into the house.

"What did I ask for again?" She asked. He spotted her sitting on the couch with a bag of potato chips and a jar of peanut butter.

"That's disgusting." Booth muttered. "Here. Have some Chinese food." He set the food down on the coffee table.

"Did I really ask for Chinese food?"

"Yes."

She made a face and Booth let out a sigh, grabbing the food and dropping it off in the kitchen. He would eat it later.

"While you're in there, could you get me some pickles, Babe?"

"Sure, Bones." He chuckled to himself. Her food cravings were just plain nuts. At least she didn't seem to be having as much morning sickness. Being at the lab and smelling all sorts of things had made her pretty sick for a while.

He brought her the jar of pickles and sat down next to her on the couch. "What are you watching?"

"I don't know. Flipping channels." She snuggled into his side and he settled an arm around her. Just as they were both comfortable, Bones shot up off the couch. "I have to pee…"

Exasperated, Booth threw his hands up in the air and went back into the kitchen to grab the Chinese food while it was still hot.

**March 2011**

"Bones, what are you doing?"

"I'm painting the baby's room." She answered matter-of-factly

"I can see that. I hadn't realize we were going to paint it…"

"I know, but I was at the store and I saw this color, so I bought it."

Booth scratched his head and looked at his wife. She was wearing sweatpants and a loose shirt to fit over her pregnant belly. Her clothes were covered in paint splatter and she had a smudge on her face and even a little in her hair.

"I was gone for eight hours, Bones. Eight hours."

"Yes, I noticed. And?"

"I was gone for eight hours and you've already bought paint, set up plastic on the ground and tape around the trim and started painting." He started laughing about the ridiculousness of it all. "Eight hours, Bones!"

She tossed him a paintbrush. "Start helping."

**April 2011**

Angela and Hodgins were over for dinner one night with Booth and Brennan. Both women were showing. Angela was a lot more rounded that Brennan but it was plainly obvious to anyone that they were pregnant. At one point in the evening, Angela and Bones had ended up in the sitting room, comfortably lounging on big couches. Hodgins and Booth played a round of pool in the basement while William napped in the guest bedroom.

"So I'm free on Saturday if you want to go shopping. I can show the best stuff to get." Angela offered.

"Sounds good." Bones agreed. Angela felt a kick and reached for Brennan's hand.

"Feel this."

"Strong little one."

"Yeah, he should be able to give William a run for the money."

"I don't know what that means."

"William kicked a lot when I was pregnant with him and he came out a very active child. I think with the rate this one is moving, I could have another little pistol on my hands."

**May 2011**

Bones was sprawled out on the couch watching a movie with Parker. It was one of those lazy Saturday mornings. Her hands were resting on her stomach when she felt the baby moving. "Hey Parker, come here!"

Parker moved over to Bones and she grabbed his hand placed it on her stomach where the little one was kicking from the inside. Parker's eyes lit up.

"Is that the baby?"

"Yes, that's your little brother or sister."

"Why can't we know until the baby comes whether its going to be a boy or a girl?."

"Because your daddy won the coin toss."

Parker's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You and Daddy flipped a coin to decide whether or not to find out early?"

"Yes."

"That's weird…"

**May 6 2011**

Booth paced the length of the hallway once more and glanced down the next hallway where somewhere in that area, Angela was getting ready to have her baby. Hodgins was in there with her while Booth and Bones had been waiting in the designated waiting room for a few hours now. He didn't like being constrained to just that room so he kept going out and pacing a little. Every now and then, a nurse on the floor would catch sight of him and ask him to go back to the room, but for the most part, he was free to pace. Bones was sitting down with William, keeping him occupied. After a while, Booth headed back to them. William saw Booth enter and stood up from the floor, moving his little legs in a quick fashion. Booth caught the little runner and swung him up. He really couldn't wait to have this new baby with Bones. He loved it when Parker was born, but he and Rebecca hadn't been married. It was going to be different this time with Bones.

"Any news?" Bones asked as Booth sat down next to her.

"No, not yet." Booth reached an arm around her. Bones leaned over and pillowed her head on his shoulder.

It was a considerable amount of time later before they heard anything. Cam and her husband Josh showed up to wait out the duration. Finally, Bones looked up to see a beaming Hodgins coming enter the room.

"Daddy!" William was even quicker to reach his dad, being so excited to finally see one of his parents. Hodgins scooped up his 20 month old and gave him a big hug.

"He's here!" He told the group. "7 lbs 5 oz. 18 inches long. Healthy as can be."

Cheers erupted in the room. Hodgins got many congratulatory pats on the back.

"How's Angela?" Cam asked.

"She'd doing great. She was wonderful in there."

"Good. I'm glad."

Hodgins looked at his first born in his arms who suddenly seemed huge in comparison to his new little boy. "Ready to go meet your little brother, Bug?"

William nodded his head vigorously. "Mama too?"

"Yes, you can see Mama."

Hodgins promised to come back as soon as other visitors were allowed in and exited with his excited little boy.

Angela was sitting up in her hospital bed when she saw her husband and oldest son come in. She hadn't seen William all day and could tell he was excited to see her.

"Mama!"

"Hi, munchkin! Come give me a kiss."

Hodgins gave his son a serious look. "Be very gentle with Mommy. She's not feeling very good right now. Ok?"

William's young features got very solemn and he looked over at his mother. "Mama sick?"

"I'm just tired, Sweetie. Its ok, though. Come here." Hodgins lowered William onto the bed. He crawled carefully over to his mother and stretched his little arms around her neck, placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek. She melted over his little neck squeezes each time she got one. He seemed so old to her now, no longer her little baby boy.

The nurse came in with their newest member to the family, all swaddled up and sleeping.

"Hey William, do you want to see your baby brother?"

William looked eagerly over at the bundle the nurse was placing in his father's arms. Hodgins walked over and sat next to William. The curious little boy peered over at the tiny face peeking out from the blanket.

"Baby?" William asked.

"Yeah, that's your baby brother, Trevor Montenegro Hodgins."

William smiled hugely and looked over at his mother who returned his grin with one of her own. She brushed a hand over his tangled curls. He was such a sweet, loving boy at heart. He would be a good big brother to Trevor.

"He's beautiful, Angela." Cam said without taking her eyes off of Trevor. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks. I thought so too, but I'm a little biased."

"So Cam, are you and Josh thinking of having one of your own any time soon? You two are the only ones left." Hodgins teased.

"Not a chance." Cam answered. "Not for a while."

"Ok, its my turn." Booth interjected. "Let me see this guy." He carefully took the baby from Cam and got acquainted with his new 'nephew'. "Oh, you are a handsome little stud, aren't you? Hey Trevor, I'm your Uncle Seeley. Hey little guy."

"Not too much longer, Booth…" Angela commented, letting the sentence hang. He knew what she meant. He was going to be a dad again soon. To him, that day couldn't get here fast enough. He looked down at Trevor and smiled, thinking about all the fun times Trevor and his kid will have growing up together.

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**Well? PLEASE review! It inspires me. Otherwise, I get sad and stop writing so if you like this story, I only write for reviews.  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey Guys! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for! Booth and Brennan's baby arrives at last! Please Review if you want more BB baby goodness. **

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Chapter Three

**June 10 2011**

She was a week and a half over due. It was hot outside and Bones was flat out miserable waiting to go into labor. Booth was getting impatient too, wondering just how much longer it would be. So when he and Bones were sitting at the table eating their breakfast and she mumbled something about feeling a contraction, he jumped to his feet.

"Wait, are you sure?"

"I'm fairly certain, yes." She said calmly but showing a little discomfort on her face. "It definitely felt like what the doctor described."

Booth looked at his wife in disbelief. He was panicking and she was acting like nothing big was happening. "We need to go to the hospital." He said decisively. "We should go right now." He ran to grab his keys and everything else they would need. Being a week and half overdue had given them plenty of time to get ready.

"There's no rush, Booth. It was just the first contraction. My water hasn't broken yet so the baby won't be coming for some time."

Booth let out an aggravated sigh. Leave it to his wife to intellectualize the situation while he was loosing his mind. "How about we go just in case, huh Bones? Its kind of a big deal if we misjudge the situation!"

"I can see that you are set on going right now so I'm not going to fight you on this."

"Good. Lets go. I got everything. You can call Parker and Angela on the way."

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Angela yawned and checked her watch. It had been nearly ten hours. She had just arrived at the hospital not more than an hour ago, but even being at home waiting had been a long time. William was already bored with the toys they had brought and Trevor was starting to get hungry.

"It doesn't look like there is going to be anything happening too soon." Hodgins said after he read the text from Booth. "Why don't I take William with me and we'll grab food? You can feed Trevor and relax without the little busy body over there."

"Sure. That sounds good."

"Ok, We'll be back soon." Hodgins kissed his wife and called to his little rascal to come with him. William took off after his dad, making Angela giggle. That boy adored his father. She looked down at Trevor who was starting to fuss.

"I didn't forget about you, little man."

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Booth tucked a strand of hair behind Bones' ear to get it out of her face.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine. I just wish the baby would come sooner."

"I know, Babe. Me too."

The doctor announced that Bones was almost fully dilated. She rested her head back on the pillow tiredly. "Not much longer, Babe." Booth told her.

"You keep saying that." She snapped.

"Well, we're here. It can't be that much longer."

Little did he know it would take more time than he thought.

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"Have you heard anything from Booth?" Cam asked Angela.

"No, Not lately."

Cam groaned and tried to get comfortable in her chair. "How could it possibly be taking this long?"

"The first child is always the hardest." Angela said. "I was in labor with William for almost twelve hours."

"Well, it's been way more than 12." Cam complained. "Poor Brennan. This has got to be exhausting."

William was passed out in Hodgins' arms and Trevor had fallen asleep in his car seat. Angela wished she was the type of person who could fall asleep anywhere, envying her boys' easy slumber.

Brennan's father Max showed up, looked extremely terrified at being a grandparent but at the same time very ecstatic. Not long after, Booth's brother Jared and his wife joined the group. Nothing was left to do but wait.

* * *

"Your epidural is wearing off and we've waited a very long time for this baby to come, but the baby's heart rate is dropping so we'd like to perform a c-section."

Bones tore her eyes from the doctor to look at Booth. He looked scared. And tired. She was sure she must look ten times worse. She certainly felt ten times worse.

"Do whatever is best for the baby." Bones answered. Booth nodded in agreement. He squeezed her hand. "You're doing so good, Babe."

They began to prep her for the c-section. Booth quickly pulled out his phone and texted the anxious friends in the waiting room the new development. It took a while, but soon enough, Booth was standing next to his wife as the doctors began to cut open his wife to deliver their child. He'd never felt so uneasy and excited in all his life. Before he knew what was happening, he saw doctor hold up his child and heard the first air splitting wail. His heart skipped a beat.

"It's a girl!"

His eyes locked with Bones' and he couldn't contain his smile. "It's a girl." He repeated. "We have a baby girl."

Bones smiled back at him the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. The nurse brought the baby over for Bones to look at her quickly before they had to take her away.

"You did it, Baby. You did so great." Booth said, leaning over to kiss Bones.

"I want to hold her."

"I know. They'll bring her back, I promise."

"So about her name…"

Booth smiled. They'd been fighting about it since the beginning.

"I think its only fair that since I spent nearly eighteen hours in labor, I should get to have my way." Booth couldn't argue with her on that. However, he had a deal of his own.

"Fine, but I pick the middle name."

"Agreed." She paused. He looked at her expectantly.

"I can't give her a middle name until she has a first name." Booth complained.

"Sophie. It means wisdom."

"Hmm, I like it." He thought for a minute, and then turned to her with a big smile. "Sophie Grace. Now that is a good name."

"Sophie Grace Booth." Bones tried it out and then gave her smile of approval.

Their baby girl was brought back over to her and placed in Bones' arms. She looked down at tiny Sophie and couldn't believe the feelings that swept over her as she held her daughter for the first time. "Wow." was all she could manage to say. She didn't know quite how to explain it. Obviously, she knew she would love her child. She had never doubted that. But she had never expected it to feel so powerful. The attachment she felt to this tiny little life in her arms was immeasurable. Booth leaned over the baby and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Hey, sweet girl. I love you."

If someone had told him a few years ago that he would be married to Bones and have the most beautiful baby daughter, he would have called them crazy, because his life with Bones was truly a miracle. He'd never felt happier in all his life than when he held Sophie Grace Booth in his arms.

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**Well, what did you think? Please Review! Thanks**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry this one took so long to post. I meant to get it up sooner, but I was busy and forgot. But here it is! A little look at Sophie's first year with her loved ones. **

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Chapter Four

**June 10 2011**

They were all worn out as they sat in the waiting room. Cam had actually managed to fall asleep by pushing two chairs together as a makeshift bed. Her husband Josh had simply dropped off to sleep sitting up straight where he was. William had never stirred but Trevor had woken up to feed. Angela rested her head on Hodgins' shoulder but couldn't give into sleep no matter how hard she tried. She felt like she'd been in the waiting room for days. She felt Hodgins sit up straighter and lifted her head to see Booth enter the room.

"It's a girl! Her name is Sophie Grace. 8 lbs 3 oz. 21 inches long."

"Oh thank god."

"Finally!"

"Congrats man!" came the multitude of replies in unison.

"When can we see Brennan and the baby?"

"You can come see Bones right now. They'll bring the baby in shortly."  
They all headed to Bones' room, except for Booth, who hung back to make a call.

"Hey Rebecca, its Booth. I'm sorry its so late, but could you bring Parker over to the hospital tomorrow morning? I'd like him to meet his baby sister."

"Oh, she is so precious!" Angela exclaimed, falling in love with her best friend's little girl just as quickly as Bones had done with her boys. "I love the hair, girly." She told the sleeping babe. Sophie had a cap of silky black hair that covered her head.

"She's amazing, Brennan." Cam added.

"I know." Bones said a little too proudly. It made everyone laugh. There was no hiding that Bones was just as excited about this little girl as Booth was.

They didn't stay long. It was late and everyone needed their rest. Angela promised to come back tomorrow afternoon. Soon it was just the family of three. Booth placed Sophie in her little hospital crib near Bones' bed.

"Its been a long day, Bones." He said yawning and collapsing into the small couch in the room. This was where he would be sleeping tonight. Not the most comfortable, but it would have to do. He looked over at her and smiled again. He just couldn't seem to stop. "You're a mom."

"I'm aware of that. I was there when it happened."

"I know that. Just think about it for a moment. We have a baby, Bones. Can you believe it?"

She looked over at Sophie and felt a little flutter in her heart. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

"Yeah." He said quietly. Bones looked over to see his eyelids drooping and laid her head down. They fell silent and within minutes all three in the room were asleep.

"Dad! Dad!" Booth met Parker in the hallway outside Bones room. He threw his arms around his son and gave him a bear hug.

"Hey, Bub." Booth looked over at Rebecca standing a few feet behind Parker. "Thanks for bringing him, Rebecca. I really appreciate it. I'll drop him off later."

"It's not a problem, Seeley. Congratulations on the baby girl." She turned to Parker. "Be good, ok? Don't cause any trouble."

Rebecca said goodbye and left. Booth led Parker into the room where Bones and Sophie were. "Where is she, Dad?" Parker asked immediately.

"She's right over here." Booth walked over to where his daughter was sleeping in the crib. He lifted her out and turned to Parker. "Do you want to hold her?"

Parker looked excited and nervous at the same time. He hadn't had too much experience with babies besides a little interaction with Angela's boys. "Yeah."

"Alright. Sit down in that chair and I'll give her to you." Parker did as he was told and held out his arms. She was small and light, but he still felt nervous holding her, but Booth knelt in front of him and that helped him feel calmer about it. "She's really little." was the only thing Parker could think to say. Booth smiled at his son. "She's going to need her big brother to look after her. Think you can do that?"

"Nobody is going to mess with _my_ little sister." Parker looked back at his new little sister with fond appreciation. "You know, I was kind of hoping for a little brother, but girls aren't so bad, are they dad?"

Booth glanced over at Bones, who had just been watching the whole time, and threw her a smile. "No, girls aren't so bad. Girls are pretty great."

They enjoyed a good amount of family time, just the four of them, but it came time for Sophie to be fed and Booth quickly got his son out of the room. "Come on, Parker. Lets go see if we can get some food from downstairs."

"Can I have some soda?" Parker asked.

"Sure, that too."

Father and son walked side by side down the hallway to the elevator. When they were inside, Booth opened up to his son.

"Listen, Bub, with a new baby in the house, it's always a little stressful and they need a lot of attention. However, that doesn't mean that when you come over, we are going to forget you. We are still going to spend time with you, but I don't want you to think that I love Sophie more than you because she has more needs than you. Does that make sense?"

Parker nodded. "Will we still go to the park to play football and baseball?"

"Absolutely. I wouldn't skip that for anything."

**June 2011**

They were finally home. Bones had had to stay at the hospital a little longer because of her c-section but they were finally released and made it home. Sophie was doing just fine, proving to be a healthy little baby.

Booth was truly amazed at how well Bones had quickly grown into the role of a mother. Of course she had always been a quick leaner and also very determined to succeed at everything she did. He had watched her with Parker, William, and Trevor and knew that she had maternal instincts that she denied. But with Sophie, it was even better. She was never one to open herself up to love very quickly, given her past of being abandoned and mistreated. Booth had never witness Bones fall in love so fast as she did with Sophie. It was an amazing thing to watch.

Booth told Bones to lie down and rest, considering she still had some healing to do from the c-section. He carried Sophie up the stairs behind her and placed her in the basinet by the bed.

"I don't like being so restricted to activity. I'm feeling just fine and can walk around the house no problem. I don't need to lie in bed like an invalid."

"You can keep arguing with me, but the doctor said you still need to take it easy for a week. Just relax. You and Sophie can have a little nap together."

"I'm not tired."

"Bones, just do it for me, ok?" Booth collapsed onto the bed next to her. "I'm tired. You should be too."

Bones watched her husband settle comfortably on the bed and close his eyes. She waited until there were signs of his deep sleeping and she carefully rose from the bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Sophie was crying again. Bones leaned over to glance at the clock. The bright red numbers told her it was 2:30. Moaning, she pushed herself up and went to retrieve Sophie. She was hungry and Bones knew this. She settled into the rocking chair and lifted her shirt and began to feed her daughter. Sophie quieted down immediately. She was three weeks old and growing bigger all the time. Bones stroked Sophie's head, enjoying the feeling of her dark silky hair, which had only come in thicker over the past three weeks. Bones had never expected to feel so changed by one tiny little person, but she felt as though she could never go back to life before Sophie, now having met and loved her little girl. After a while, Bones felt Sophie stop and checked to see that she was indeed asleep. She carefully placed her back in her crib and fell exhaustedly back into bed beside Booth.

**September 2011**

"Hey Sophie!" Parker cooed at his little sister. He made a goofy face and was rewarded with a smile. "She likes me, Dad!"

"Of course she does. You're her big brother."

Three-month-old Sophie rested contentedly in her father's arms. She watched Parker with extreme interest and kept the smiles coming at each silly thing he did.

It was a Saturday afternoon. Bones had gone into work and so Booth had quality time for his kids. Parker was growing more and more attached to Sophie now that she was older and could do more things like smile at him. He loved to walk her around the house, giving her little 'tours'. And like Booth promised, Parker still had bonding time with his dad and wasn't pushed aside by this new family member. It was a struggle for Booth to make sure that both of his kids remained healthy and happy, but it was working out just fine. The first month with Sophie had been stressful yet wonderful. Bones was more hormonal than she could stand but things fell into balance and they all adjusted to the new 'normal'.

Booth put Sophie down for a nap and turned on the baby monitor. Grabbing the other one from the living room where they usually kept it, he motioned for Parker to follow him.

"Where are we going, Dad?"

"The backyard. How about we throw the football around for a while?"

Parker let out a shout of approval and ran past his Dad to the garage to grab the ball.

That night, after running around with Parker and keeping occupied with the little fireball that Sophie was, Booth had a relaxing evening in mind. He popped a DVD in and made Parker some popcorn. Parker sat on the couch, but Booth decided to stretch out on the floor with Sophie lying in his chest. For a while, she had her head held up and looked at him, making faces and silly noises, but after some time, she rested her head on his chest. He rubbed her small back and listened to her breathing. She fell asleep quickly and didn't stir. Booth savored the feeling. He loved it when she fell asleep on him.

Brennan entered the house through the back door into the kitchen. She dropped her purse and kicked off her shoes. She could hear the sound of the tv in the living room and peeked in to see who was watching something. There they were, all three of her loves. Parker was curled up on the couch in a blanket looking cozy and Booth was on floor with Sophie asleep on top of his chest.

"Hey Bones." Parker greeted, realizing his step mom's presence before Booth did.

Booth craned his neck to look up at Bones. He smiled and whispered hello to her. She blew him a kiss and went upstairs to change. When she was in more comfortable clothing, she joined Parker on the couch. He offered her some of the blanket and they sat comfortably together for the rest of the movie.

**November 7, 2011**

Two days ago had marked Hodgins and Angela's fourth anniversary and they had once again asked Booth and Bones to baby-sit for them over the weekend. With William being two years old, he was even more of a handful, yet six-month-old Trevor was very laid back and easy to care for. At five months, Sophie was proving to be a happy child yet very stubborn when she wanted something and wouldn't give up crying until she got it. She had started to look more distinctly like Bones, which made Booth happy. She was Parker's little buddy and Bones' little angel. To Booth, she was perfect in every way. She'd had him wrapped so tightly around her finger since the beginning.

William and Trevor were dropped off and Parker quickly whisked William away to play upstairs. Trevor and Sophie were put in a portable crib together. Trevor had mastered sitting up while Sophie was still at work on it. She leaned against the sides for support and every now and then fell face forward and needed Booth or Bones' assistance in sitting back up again.

Booth watched Trevor and Sophie interact and recalled around this time last year when Angela was pregnant and he had just heard from Bones that he was going to be a father again. Now, he watched the two babies they had so eagerly waited for. It was a beautiful thing.

"Cam is pregnant." Bones announced out of the blue. Booth looked at Bones in disbelief.

"It's true. She told us today. She's due in April."

"Wow." Booth said. "I wasn't expecting that so soon."

"Neither was Cam from what I gathered." Bones reasoned.

Booth laughed at this, realizing that it was probably true. Cam hadn't had kids in mind for a little while longer, but sometimes your life ended up different than you planned.

"You realize that after these few years of watching Angela and Hodgins' kids for their anniversary, now that we have one of our own, they can finally return the favor." Bones whispered to her husband, changing the subject once again. Booth smiled at her. He could practically see the gears turning in her mind.

"You're already planning our next getaway, aren't you?"

Bones just smiled in response.

**December 24, 2011**

Bones had her reasons for not liking Christmas, but it was Sophie's first Christmas and she knew how much that meant for Booth, who loved the holiday and all it stood for. So she had put more of her time and energy into Christmas preparations for his sake. There was tree in the living room and presents in a variety of shapes and sizes under it. It was the afternoon and already they were preparing the food for dinner. It was going to be a big celebration. All four Hodgins were coming, along with Seeley's brother and wife, Cam and her husband and daughter Michelle, Max, Parker, and Russ with his family.

The doorbell rang. Brennan threw a glance at the clock to see the time. Whoever it was, they were early.

"I got it." Booth called. He had seven-month-old Sophie in one arm and opened the door with the other. Max Keenan stood in front of him with a big smile and a pile of presents. "Merry Christmas!"

"Come on in, Max. Bones, your dad is here."

Max dropped the presents by the tree and stole Sophie from Booth.

"There's Grandpa's girl! How are you, Sweetheart?" Sophie, ever the happy child, let out an excited shriek that had her Grandpa laughing.

"Dad, you're early." Bones pointed out as she entered the room. Max turned and gave her a hug.

"I know. I just couldn't wait to see you guys, especially this little one." He gave Sophie a hearty kiss on the cheek.

"Well, would you like anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine. I just want to hold my granddaughter for a little while." He looked adoringly at Sophie. "You are just like your mother. I can see it." Sophie's hair had lightened to a light brown and her eyes were big and bright blue. She looked just like Brennan had as a child and Max loved that fact. Leaving Max with his granddaughter, Booth and Bones returned to the kitchen to check on dinner.

Within a few hours, the whole crew was there. The adults mingled and talked while the kids ran around and stared impatiently at the pile of presents under the tree. Sophie and Trevor were passed from one set of hands to another. Trevor was still an easy baby, content just to be held while he watched the world around him. Sophie was more of a handful, reaching for everything in sight to try and pop it in her mouth or she would squirm and move, testing her boundaries and abilities.

Russ's girls were close in age to Parker and he made fast friends with them. Connor Brennan was only a year older than William and the two were inseparable. As far as Christmases went, Brennan had to admit that this one was pretty great. That had a lot to do with Sophie and a lot to do with the fact that she had her whole family there to celebrate with. It was the first time in many years that she wasn't reminded of that one Christmas so many years ago with just her and Russ. By the end of the night, everyone had said their goodbyes and left, except for Russ, Amy and the kids, who were staying for a few more days before they returned home. Parker had gone to his room, but was having trouble falling asleep. In the morning, he got to open the rest of his presents with his dad and step mom and then he had Christmas day with his mom. The excitement kept him turning and his mind busy with thoughts of tomorrow. Booth had put Sophie down in her crib. Russ's kids had been settled into beds while he and Amy were shown to the nicest guest room they had. Bones was lying in bed reflecting on the events of the day when she felt Booth slide into bed next to her. He shivered and scooted closer to her warm body.

"Your feet are too cold." Bones complained, pulling hers away.

"Sorry." Booth said with a smile. It was dark, but Bones could hear the smile in his voice.

"No, you're not."

Booth laughed quietly and slid an arm around his wife. She rolled over to her side so that he could move closer. His chest pressed against her back and his legs followed the curve of hers. His head rested behind hers and he could smell her hair, feeling like he could fall asleep right then and there.

"Did you have a good day, Bones?"

"Yes. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve." He pressed a kiss to her neck and settled his head on her pillow. He thought her pause was just her sleepiness making her talk less and less, but Bones was thinking about how to voice her thoughts. "It was the best Christmas I've had." She decided. Booth knew the weight of the words, knowing what her worst Christmas had been. He held her a little tighter and thanked God for this woman who had come so far from her past filled with hurt and confusion to the person she was today, his other half and the mother of their child.

**January 2012**

"Ok, Sophie, it's time to calm down and sleep." Brennan told her restless daughter. She sat down in the rocking chair in Sophie's nursery, holding her baby girl close to her. For the past few weeks, Sophie had been fighting off sleep, wanting to stay awake with wide eyes. She was a curious little girl, always watching others and trying new things. She was incredible active so when it came time to sleep, she used all of her remaining energy to force herself to stay awake. But eventually, she was just too worn out to fight and instantly sleep would claim her.

Sophie was almost to that point. As Brennan rocked her gently, Sophie's head tossed from side to side, trying to keep sleep away. "It's ok, sweet girl. Just relax." She traced patterns lightly on Sophie's small back and watched the struggle drain from her.

"There you go, Soph." She pressed a kiss to the top of Sophie's head. Within a minute, she was out like a light. Brennan didn't immediately put her down though. She missed Sophie's cuddly stage and this was now the only time that her active little girl slowed down enough to be held like this. She loved putting to Sophie to bed now. She used to go down so easy. All Brennan had to do was give her a bottle and she would fall asleep on her own. Now, they had a different bedtime ritual, but Brennan didn't mind that all.

She slowly stood and walked a few steps to Sophie's crib. When Sophie was down and showed no signs of waking back up, Brennan left the room, throwing one last glance back at her daughter as she closed the door behind her. "Goodnight, Sophie Grace."

**April 17, 2012**

Robert Jeffrey Klein was born at 2:07 p.m. on a rainy Saturday in April. Sophie was sorely outnumbered by the boys at this point. However, at ten months old, she loved the attention she got from being the only girl. Angela was thrilled with Cam's new baby boy, telling Cam that it was going to be so much fun with her two boys and Robert growing up so close in age. "Of course, it would be nice to have another girl sometime soon for poor Sophie." Angela added.

"Don't come looking to me for that." Cam said. "I just had baby. I'm not looking to add any more right now." She shot her glance from Brennan to Angela, wondering which one would probably present the next addition to the gang, but she didn't voice any of her thoughts.

* * *

"Sophie, be a good girl for Daddy, ok?" Booth pleaded as Sophie shrieked at the top of her lungs and refused to be consoled. "Sophie, baby, its ok."

"What's wrong with Soph?" Bones asked as she entered the room in search of her keys. Upon seeing her mother, Sophie's cry grew quieter as she reached for Brennan. As soon as she was in her arms, Sophie was quiet. Booth threw his hands up in the air.

"Nothing any more, apparently." He answered. Booth caught Sophie's eye and she smiled. "Yeah, I know you were faking." He accused the ten-month-old. He couldn't help but smile back at his deceptive little girl. She was going to be a handful when she got older. Bones brought Sophie closer to her face and kissed her round cheek before shifting her to one hip. "I'll take Sophie with me to run a few errands." Bones told her husband. "We'll be back in an hour."

"Alright." Booth watched his girls walk out the door and shook his head in wonder, thinking about the years to come with Sophie Grace.

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**Review! Review! Review!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey Everyone! Here is the next chapter. I would REALLY appreciate some reviews. Honestly, they motivate me in my writing. Thanks guys! :) **

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Chapter Five

**June 10, 2012**

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Sophie. Happy birthday to you." The chorus of voices sang out the well-known song and then cheered at the end while Booth aided his one year old in blowing out her candle. Within a second of blowing it out, Sophie had already grabbed a fistful of cake and crammed it into her mouth.

"No, Sophie!" Brennan grabbed her other hand as it reached for a second helping. Everyone was laughing while Sophie was bewildered by the whole affair. All she wanted was the food they had placed right in front of her. Brennan handed Sophie over to Max so she could cut the cake for everyone. Sophie's slice had a nice chunk of it missing from her first tasting.

"Sophie, you have cake in your hair!" Brennan observed. The chocolate cake crumbs were extremely visible against Sophie' light blonde hair. Within minutes of having the cake, it was just about everywhere on the child.

Angela had her camera out as quickly as she could to capture the image. Her own son, Trevor, was not doing much better with the dessert. Sophie and Trevor were scooted next to each other for a round of pictures. Laughter burst from the group when Sophie reached for Trevor and inadvertently got more cake on his face from her messy hand.

"Ok, birthday girl. Now that you're all done with cake, let's get you cleaned up." Booth lifted Sophie into his arms and hurried her off to the sink. Once the dessert was cleaned up and the kids were washed off, they got all of them on the couch. From eleven-year-old Parker down to three-month-old Robert, they organized them for what was supposed to be a quick photo, but with so many little ones, it took longer than anticipated.

"Mama, can I have more cake?" William asked during the middle of the photo shoot, squirming to get out of his spot. Food was never far from his mind.

"No, baby, you had _plenty_. Don't move, William. We're almost done." Angela checked her camera to see if the latest shot had turned out ok. She needed to take another one. Sophie's head was turned. William did as his mother asked, but without his nice smile. He sat grumpily next to Parker and wouldn't smile for anything until they finally gave up and settled for a shot where at least all of them were looking.

"Is it present time?" William asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Yeah!" William made a bee line for the pile of presents but was stopped midway by Booth who swung him up and held him upside down. "Where do you think you're going?" He teased.

"Put me down!" William giggled. "Daddy, help!"

Hodgins, who had Trevor in one arm, looked over at his oldest and smiled. "What do you need my help for? You can take Uncle Seeley."

"No!" William squirmed in Booth's arms. He was now right-side up, but still caught. He giggled and kicked and was tickled in response. He was starting to look a lot more like Hodgins, but he still had Angela's dark hair. He was still just as energetic and troublesome as ever, but still as endearing to his parents and 'aunts and uncles' for his frequent yet tight hugs and dimpled cheeks.

William was finally set back on his feet, but restrained from tearing open the presents on his own. Sophie was presented with her gifts one by one and she tore into them with no cares at all. The unwrapping was just as much fun as seeing what new toys and clothes she had. The day was full of laughter and smiles. Angela, Hodgins, and their gang were the lasts ones left at Booth and Brennan's. Parker and William were running around outside while a little light was still in the sky. Trevor was exhausted and content to rest in Angela's arms while she and Brennan talked. They were in the sitting room talking about their babies that were now a year old already. It didn't seem like that long ago that they were sitting in the same spots with pregnant bellies talking about the future and feeling the little ones kick. Sophie walked over to Brennan in her quick little steps and lifted her arm up to signal that she wanted to be picked up. Brennan grabbed Sophie and snuggled her into her lap. Booth and Hodgins entered the room. Hodgins stood behind his wife's chair and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"They are getting ready to leave." Booth informed his wife. He looked over at Sophie and caressed her thin, silky hair. Hodgins leaned down and whispered something to Angela. She nodded excitedly and glanced over at Booth and Brennan.

"Is something going on?" Booth asked, picking up on their secretiveness.

"We just had something to say before we leave."

"What's that?" Brennan wondered.

"We thought you two should be the first to know that we are going to have another baby soon." Hodgins said proudly.

"No way." Booth said. "That's awesome. Come here." He gave Angela and Hodgins a hug. Brennan stood with Sophie and went to congratulate her best friend.

"When are you due?"

"November." Angela said. She looked down at her easy-going baby boy. "Trevor's going to be a big brother."

"I bet William is excited."

"Oh yeah. We're just worried he'll kill him with kindness like he nearly did with Trevor." They all laughed at this. William had never experienced much jealousy when Trevor came along. In fact, he loved Trevor very much, very quickly. But William was an aggressive little boy, even in acts of kindness like a hug. Fortunately, Trevor had survived these rough signs of affection.

Hodgins fetched the boys from the backyard and soon they gathered to say goodbye for the night. Brennan grabbed her three-year-old godson in a fierce hug.

"Goodbye, buddy. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Aunt Tempe!" He threw his arms around her neck and squeezed as tight as he could. Brennan's eyes sought Angela's. "Hey, William and Trevor haven't spent the night in a while. We'll need to do that again soon."

"Alright, but only if we can get Sophie for an overnight also. I love spending some girl time with her." As she said this, Angela stole Sophie from Hodgins and gave her a hug. "Bye, sweet girl. I hope you had a good birthday." Sophie gave Angela a sloppy kiss in response.

When the four Hodgins were finally gone, Booth and Brennan set out cleaning up the mess of the party while Parker played with his baby sister.

"Wow, I can't believe that Angela is having another baby. How about that, huh?" Booth cleaned a sink-full of dishes while Bones wiped down the counters and tables.

"It was a surprise to hear. Trevor will only be a year and a half older than the new baby."

"Yeah, but if anyone can handle that, it's Angela. Besides, Trevor is such a good baby."

"True. However, William is very troublesome and hard to take care of."  
"Oh, come on, Bones. He's not that bad. He's your godson."

"I'm not saying I think he is a horrible child. I love William and wouldn't have him any other way, but he is at times a difficult child to keep in line."

Bones moved next to Booth and began to dry the dishes he had washed already. Booth fell silent, occupied with is own thoughts.

"What's on your mind?" Brennan asked, sensing it was something important.

"Nothing." He answered quickly. She shot him a look that said she didn't believe him.

"Ok, I was thinking about this past year with Sophie and how it's changed me." His eyes connected with Brennan's. "We've got one great little girl on our hands, Bones. She's something else."

"It seems like not long ago that she was born. Its hard to accept that she is a year already."

"Kinda wish she would stay little forever?" Booth prodded.

"Yeah, I do." Bones admitted. They fell silent again, until once again Bones broke the silence. "That's not all you were thinking about, was it?"

How did she know him so well? Booth shook his head at her. "Alright. I will admit that there was something else on my mind. I was just thinking about how Sophie is one now and growing every day and Angela is expecting again and…"

"And what?" Bones asked.

"What do you think about trying for another one?"

"Another baby?"

"What else would I be talking about?" He teased. Bones thought it over.

"I really only planned on having one child. Sophie is bright and shows signs of being very creative. She's beautiful and silly and energetic. I'm already very proud of her."

"So is that a 'no'?"

"I don't know. I'm content with the way things are right now. Our life is good."

They left the conversation at that for now, but it was sure to be brought up later. It was late, though, and Sophie needed to go to sleep. Brennan sought her out in the living room and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. After getting Sophie cozy in her pajamas, she snuggled her close in the rocking chair to read her some books as part of their nighttime routine. Sophie was asleep by the time she reached the third story. Brennan carefully put Sophie down without stirring her from sleep. She stood over her crib and watched Sophie sleep. Her baby was a year old. Thinking back on the past year with Sophie, Brennan came to the conclusion that it was the best year of her life. There had been many bad days thrown into the mess and plenty of stress that comes with raising a baby, but the good days stood out the most. There were struggles and joys alike, but all of it was worth it to have Sophie in their lives. Brennan tenderly traced the side of Sophie's face with her finger and turned to leave.

* * *

"Parker, did you brush your teeth already?" Booth asked his son as Parker got ready for bed.

"Yes, Dad."

"Well, alright, climb into bed then and go to sleep."

"Wait, Dad. Can I ask you something?" Parker asked hesitantly.

Booth paused from exiting the room and instead sat down on the edge of his son's bed. "Absolutely. What's on your mind, Bub?"

"Well, I was in the living room with Sophie and I overheard you and Bones talking about having more kids."

Booth hadn't realized Parker was listening, but he urged his son to continue. "Would that upset you?"

"No." Parker admitted. "I was just going to say that if you are, I would really like a little brother."

Booth let out a laugh, relieved that should he and Bones have another baby, Parker would be ok with it. Well, as long as it was a boy. Booth said goodnight it his son and went to go to bed himself. The day had been long and draining. He was ready for sleep. Before he could drift off, he felt Bones climb into bed next to him. "Sophie put up a fight?" He asked.

"No, she went right to sleep after a few books were read to her."

"Mmm. Good." Booth sighed and felt sleep creeping in close. "Night, Bones."

"Hey, Booth?"

"… Yeah?" He asked sleepily.

"I was thinking about what we talked about while I was putting Sophie to bed and I realized that if having one child could change our lives so much for the better, than another one could only make it even greater."

Booth didn't respond at first and Bones thought he might have fallen asleep. "Really, Bones? Do you really want to try for another one?"

"Yes, I do."

Booth wrapped his arms around his wife and smiled through the darkness. Within seconds, he was asleep, thinking about the future with one more bright-eyed child looking just like his gorgeous wife.

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**PLEASE REVIEW! Next chapter coming soon...**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! ok, I had a lot of fun wit this chapter so I hope you like it too. It's short and sweet. PLEASE leave a review at the end. Thank you :)**

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Chapter Six

**December 25, 2012**

She was pregnant. She had woken up early on Christmas morning to take a pregnancy test and it was positive. She smiled to herself and her next thought was Booth. She had to tell him. He would be so thrilled. She was about to run right out of the bathroom and just spill it to him, but she realized the opportunity she had. It was Christmas morning. She grabbed the pregnancy test and silently slid out of their master bathroom, past a sleeping Booth, and into the hallway.

Booth woke up when he felt something land on his abdomen. His air left him in a huff. He opened his eyes to find Sophie sitting upright on his stomach with twinkling eyes and that naughty smile she wore when she knew she was doing something wrong.

"Sophie, how did you get out of your crib?" He lifted Sophie off and sat upright.

"Mama." Sophie turned to look around the room. She spotted Brennan standing behind them and pointed to her. Booth caught Brennan's eye.

"Oh, I see. Your mama let you in here to wake me up so very rudely."

Sophie nodded her head. Booth kissed the top of Sophie's head. "Go get Mama." He whispered to her. Sophie scooted ever so carefully off the bed, getting a little assistance from Booth to make sure she didn't fall. Once she was steady on the ground, Sophie took off with quick little steps and threw her arms around Brennan's legs. Brennan reached down and grabbed Sophie. "Should we go wake Parker, too?" She asked her daughter. Sophie squirmed out of Brennan's arms and took off for her brother's room. Bones turned to follow her, but Booth stopped her.

"Don't think you can just send in the munchkin to wake me up and then leave." He told her, beckoning her. She sat next to him and gave him his Christmas morning kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Bones."

She smiled sweetly at him. She was bursting to tell him the news. "Merry Christmas."

He pulled her in for another kiss, but before things could go too far, they were interrupted.

"Is it time to open presents?" Parker asked eagerly.

"No." Booth told him. "We eat breakfast first as a family. You know that. Then we open presents."

"But you can look in your stockings before breakfast." Bones told him. Parker flashed her a smile and grabbed Sophie's hand. Together, they disappeared down the hallway, but their footsteps could be heard thundering down the stairs.

"There's nothing like watching kids Christmas morning. They are so excited."

"Yeah," Bones agreed. "Well, what do you say we go make breakfast for our family?"

"Ok, in a minute." Booth said as he slid his arms around her and picked up where they left off before Parker showed up. After a while, they had to come up for air and Brennan gently but firmly put her hand on his chest, keeping some distance between them.

"Come on, the kids aren't going to wait forever. We better go now before they walk in on something that could scar them for life." She teased. Booth agreed reluctantly and they walked down to the kitchen together.

* * *

"Here, Sophie. This one is for you." Brennan set a wrapped present in front of the eighteen-month-old.

"Me?" Sophie asked, unsure if what to do with it.

"Yep, tear into it, kiddo." Booth said as he reached for another present to hand out. Sophie didn't need to be told twice. She ripped the wrapping paper to shreds and discovered the toy that had been waiting.

Brennan had her camera ready, capturing Sophie's reaction and Parker's excitement as he opened his gifts. It wasn't long before all of the gifts under the tree had been opened. They remained on the floor together, taking things out of boxes and trying them out. Brennan excused herself for a minute and came back soon enough. They spent the rest of the morning relaxing as a family, but in the afternoon, Parker was picked up by Rebecca and it was just Booth, Brennan, and Sophie. Booth was cleaning up the left over pieces of wrapping paper by the tree when he felt Sophie grab his leg. He looked down to see her standing next to him with a small gift in one hand. She held it up to him. Booth looked over at Bones, puzzled.

"Open." She told him.

"Open." Sophie echoed. He smiled at her when he took the gift from her. He unwrapped it to find a pregnancy test. A _positive_ pregnancy test. His eyes shot over to Bones, looking for confirmation. She gave him that knowing smile and he felt his heart leap. He couldn't stand to have any distance between them. With three quick strides, he had her in his arms, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. She let out a surprised squeal and then let out a laugh. He laughed too, unable to contain his joy.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy." Brennan ran her hand through his hair and then brought his face closer to hers so she could kiss him with all the love she felt for him in that moment.

"Best Christmas present I ever got." He told her. They both felt Sophie's little hands grabbing at their pant legs, not wanting to be left out from all the joy.

"Up." She whined. Bones bent down and scooped her up, placing her in between the both of them. She looked at them with her sparkling blue eyes and Booth realized he wanted another little girl that looked just like his beautiful wife. He looked over at Bones and saw her watching him closely and realized she was probably wishing for a little boy who would be like his dad. Only time would tell…

**

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Well, I would really love some feedback from you guys :) **

**REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Wow. So this summer just kinda flew by and I didn't do nearly as much writing as I had hoped! I didn't mean to make you guys wait so long for an update. But here it is! I pretty much skipped the pregnancy so here is the story of the new little Booth! Please review! **

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Chapter Seven

**July 18 2013**

"He's coming early." Brennan commented as she felt another contraction due to her impatient child within. Their baby wasn't due for another week and a half. Not that she minded. Better early than late.

"Yeah, _she_ really can't wait to meet us." Booth smiled teasingly at Bones. They'd been joking about the sex of the baby the whole pregnancy. Brennan smiled back at him, until another contraction made her face scrunch up.

"Ok, easy, breath. You're doing good." The pain subsided and Brennan dropped her head back onto her pillow.

"Where's the doctor?" She groaned.

"I don't know. She should be here soon, Hon. Just hang in there." Booth squeezed her hand encouragingly. He heard his cell go off and pulled it out of his pocket.

"Who is it?" Brennan wanted to know.

"Angela. She's dying for an update. Says Sophie's being good. Speaking of Sophie, just think about how happy she'll be with a little sister."

"She's two. She's grown up with Angela and Cam's sons. We already know she would love a little brother because she loves William, Trevor, Robbie and Aaron."

"Well, do you really want Sophie growing up as the only girl?"

"She loves the attention and special treatment."

Booth shook his head. She had a response for everything he came up with.

"You better text Angela back. Sounds like she wants some information." She said this with a satisfactory smile, knowing she had won their little debate. Of course, it really didn't matter to either of them. They already had a daughter and son they loved more than life. Another little boy or girl, whatever it was, would be loved just as much.

* * *

"Any news?" Cam asked.

"Nothing new. Booth says they're still just waiting for things to get going." Angela said. She sat down next to Hodgins. Eight-month-old Aaron Seeley Hodgins was in his father's arms, but reached for his mother the moment she sat down. Angela grabbed her youngest boy and cuddled him close. With their group expanding once again in numbers, the waiting room was packed. Only now, it was getting harder and harder to keep them all occupied. William was four now and just as much of a handful as he ever was. Trevor at the age of two was still a mellow child but constantly wondering off silently to explore and required a close eye on him at all times. Sophie was a bundle of energy and giggles. She felt like the spotlight was always on her and liked to entertain any sort of audience she could find. Robbie was fifteen months and very temperamental but at the same time very loving. Aaron was an extremely happy baby. He had been a bit colicky at first, but they had gotten through that stage.

* * *

"Come on, Baby. Almost there." Booth said.

"Just a few more pushes." The doctor told Brennan.

Brennan mustered up the remaining strength she had and pushed for all it was worth. It wasn't long before the doctor told her one final push would do it. With one last show of effort, her baby was brought into the world.

"Ok, folks. Looks like you got yourself another beautiful girl on your hands." The doctor announced.

Booth and Brennan locked eyes. Another girl. Another sweet, little angel to love and take care of, to play with Sophie, and to make their lives more joyous.

"Here you go, Mama." The nurse said, placing their little bundle in Brennan's waiting arms. She looked like Sophie had when she was born. The same cap of dark, silky hair covered her head.

"Hey, sweet girl." Brennan whispered. Booth watched in awe. She was finally here, their baby girl they had waited nine long months for.

"Do you have a name picked out?"

Booth's eyes met Brennan's and they smiled. This time, it hadn't been so hard, even considering their little teasing arguments about the sex of the baby. Picking out a girl's name had come very easily somehow and looking at their little babe, Brennan thought the name suited her just fine.

"Jillian Christine Booth." He answered with a smile.

* * *

"Mommy?" Brennan opened her eyes. She had been resting while Booth went to go share the news with their friends. Now, she saw Booth come in with Sophie holding his hand. Sophie scanned the room for her mom. Spotting Brennan, She smiled and tried to race to her, but Booth kept a tight grip on her and stopped her.

"Whoa, easy there, squirt. You can sit by Mommy, but don't climb on her, ok?"

Sophie nodded and looked back at her mom with such a look of longing that Brennan decided to let her stay close to her for as long as she wanted. "Come here, Sweetie."

Booth settled Sophie on the bed and let her cuddle next to Brennan. Bones wrapped her arm around her oldest girl and kissed her head. Booth walked over to the bassinet that Sophie hadn't noticed in her quest to find her mother and he picked up his newest daughter with great care.

"Sophie, would you like to see your baby sister?"

Sophie's eyes widened and she was practically bouncing with excitement when Booth placed the baby in Brennan's arms. "Sophie, this is Jillian."

"Hi Jiwian." Sophie reached her little hand towards her sister and gently touched her head, feeling the silky black hair. She looked up at Brennan with her bright blue eyes full of wonder and joy. "She's wittwe, Mommy." She was so used to Aaron and Robbie, who were hardly fragile little ones like her new sister was.

"What do you think, Soph? Do you like your baby sister?" Booth asked her. Sophie smiled at him.

"Yeah." She said in her cute, little girl voice. She certainly wasn't a baby any more.

"Can I kiss her, Mommy?" Sophie asked. Brennan felt her heart melt. She held Jillian's head closer to Sophie and watched as Sophie pressed a kiss to Jillian's forehead and then smiled brightly up at her mother. Brennan had wondered if jealousy would rear its ugly head once the baby had arrived and the attention shifted quite a bit away from Sophie, who was used to being the center of it in the Booth household. So far, there wasn't even a tiny trace of it.

"Dad?"

"Hey, Parker! Come on in, Bub." Booth ushered Parker into the hospital room. Sophie saw her brother and hopped off the bed to greet him.

"Parker!"

"Hey Sophie." Twelve-year-old Parker scooped up his little sister. They were buddies. Parker had kept up his promise to look after Sophie as her big brother.

"Hi Bones." Parker approached the bed and sat on the edge, giving Bones a slight hug, managing what he could while she was sitting down.

"Hey, Buddy, how are you?"

"Good. Where's the baby?" He asked eagerly. Bones smiled, glad to see that he didn't seem to mind that it was another baby girl.

"Over there in her crib." Parker followed Bones' gaze and saw a tiny baby lying in a hospital crib. He walked over to get a closer look at his new sister. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course, Bub. Just remember to be careful with her head. Make sure you support it."

Parker picked up his new sister very carefully and sat down in the nearest chair with her. To him, she looked exactly like Sophie had when she was born. "Hi, Jillian. I'm your big brother, Parker."

"Sophie, go stand next to your brother so Daddy can get a picture, ok?" Booth said. Sophie, who loved being in front of cameras, was only too happy to comply.

* * *

"Alright, let me see this baby." Angela gently took Jillian from Cam and held her so she could get a good look at her. William was tugging on her pant leg trying to get her attention. "Mama. Mama. Mama, I want to see the baby. Can I see?"

"Alright, William." Angela sat down in the nearest chair so her boys could see. William squeezed as close as possible, blocking Trevor's view. Trevor lost interest and walked over to play with Robbie. Aaron, however, felt a pang of jealously watching his mother hold and love another baby. He began to fuss in Hodgins' arms.

Booth was smiling proudly as his newest little one was passed from one pair of loving arms to the next. It had been wonderful raising these kids together. Parker and Sophie had a second family in the Hodgins and Kleins.

"Daddy, up!' Sophie broke through his thoughts with her command. Booth reached down and scooped up his daughter. She wrapped both little arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She was exhausted. It had been a long and exciting day and he was pretty sure she hadn't taken a nap. He snuggled her close and kissed the top of her head.

He caught Brennan's eye and smiled. She was tired, to be sure, but she also had an overpowering feeling of happiness and completeness. Jillian had finally arrived and her family and friends were here to share the joy with her. Seeing Angela fawning over Jillian as if she one of her own made Brennan's heart swell with love for her best friend. She knew she was fortunate to have Angela and the others in her life. They were her family when she didn't have one and now that she was married to Booth and beginning their own family, her friends were still there to rejoice with her. It felt truly amazing.

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Reviews please! Thank you :) **


	9. Chapter 8

**Here is the next chapter! You'll get to know Jillian Booth a little better. Just some sweet BB family goodness :) Please Review! **

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Chapter Eight

**July 2013**

Booth heard Jillian crying over the baby monitor. He rolled over in bed and saw that Brennan was already up, but decided to check on the baby himself in case she hadn't heard Jillian. He checked the clock. 6:24. At least it wasn't the middle of the night. He got up and made his way down the hall to Jillian's nursery. He found Brennan already there, just sitting down in the rocking chair to nurse Jillian.

"You beat me to her." Booth said in a groggily voice.

"You're welcome." She said. "She's hungry and you wouldn't have been able to help with that."

Sophie came running in and Brennan quickly grabbed a baby blanket to drape over Jillian and herself. She wasn't up for Sophie's questions she knew would come if Sophie saw Brennan breast feeding.

"Morning, Mommy." Sophie said in her sweet, angelic voice. Her light brown hair was tangled and stuck out in several directions and her face was still a little flushed from sleep. Her eyes were shining like always.

"Good morning, peanut."

"What about me, Soph?" Booth said from his spot in the doorway. Sophie had run right past him when she entered. "Don't I get a 'good morning'?" Sophie gave him a naughty smile and only stood closer to Brennan, refusing to say anything. She turned her attention back to her mommy holding the baby. "Mommy, I'm hungry." She said in a whiny little voice.

"I'll make you some breakfast." Booth said, motioning for Sophie to follow him down to the kitchen. Sophie glanced back at Brennan and both parents watched a pout come over Sophie's usually happy face.

"I want mommy!" Sophie's voice rose to a high-pitched demand.

Brennan shot her daughter a stern look and Booth spoke to her in voice that left no room for whining. "Sophie, Mommy is busy. Come downstairs with Daddy now and I'll make you some breakfast."

Sophie followed her father down the stairs to the kitchen, but with her pout still firmly in place and her arms folded across her chest. Brennan watched her go and couldn't help but laugh after she was gone. She had so much spunk in her.

Booth placed the bowl of cheerios in front of Sophie, knowing she would probably end up spilling at least some of the milk in her lap. She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

He had quickly coaxed her out of her foul mood. He wasn't the least bit offended or angry about her actions, knowing the reason for her wanting her mommy so badly. It hadn't been an easy transition for Sophie as a new big sister. She wasn't used to sharing and now all of the sudden there was a baby in the house and Sophie was forced to share her mommy with her more often than she liked.

Brennan came downstairs moments later with Jillian. Sophie saw her walk in and she immediately pushed her chair back and made a bee line for Brennan. "Mommy!"

Booth stole Jillian from Brennan, seeing Sophie was desperate for a little attention from Bones. That was fine, he wanted some time with his Jillian.

**November 2013**

In the months following Jillian's birth, Brennan began to notice how Sophie and Jillian were polar opposites. Sophie had been a happy, easy-going baby that grew into a sociable, silly, energetic two-year-old. Jillian, however, was very quiet and didn't particularly like getting passed around from one set of arms to another. In fact, she preferred to be held by Brennan most of the time and secondly by Booth, but not many others unless she was in a really good mood. Jillian was a sweet baby and loved to be held and cuddled, whereas Sophie could hardly stay in the same spot for two seconds, even back when she was an infant. Sophie had a lot more spunk in her. She threw tantrums when she was upset and she was constantly making noise or singing when she was happy. Jillian had a soft coo and a quiet cry. She mostly just watched people from her perch in Brennan's arms. She was especially interested in Sophie's antics and found her a great source of amusement most days. Brennan found Sophie to have a lot more of Booth's personality in her while Jillian was showing signs of taking more after Brennan.

Even in looks the girls differed. Sophie had light brown hair, Brennan's high cheekbones, and dazzling blue eyes, always sparkling with merriment or mischief. Jillian had the prettiest big brown eyes that were her most striking feature. She also had dark brown hair and, much to Brennan's delight, a smile just like Booth's. She could see Jillian years down the road flashing that "charm smile" and getting her way.

Parker had different relationships with both girls. Sophie, being a toddler, was easy to interact with and bond with. She was his little buddy, following him around and idolizing him. He would swing her around until she giggled like crazy or they would run around in the backyard. But with Jillian, Parker saw her as being a lot more fragile and gentle. Brennan loved to see Parker go from being lively and crazy with Sophie to holding Jillian with the utmost care and talking to her softly and soothingly. She had him wrapped so tight around her finger. Brennan was glad to know Parker was protective and kind to his little sisters.

**January 2014**

"No, Mommy! Stay!" Sophie pleaded with giant tears rolling down her face. Booth handed six-month-old Jillian to Hodgins. She started to fuss a little, bit nothing compared to what her older sister was doing now. Sophie's little arms wrapped tightly around Brennan's leg and wouldn't let go. She screamed and begged and wouldn't be consoled.

"Sophie, your daddy and I have to go, but we will be back in a few days. I promise." They had been given a case that was taking them all the way to Chicago. Hodgins and Angela agreed to watch the girls while they were gone.

Angela crouched down next to Sophie, ready to take over as soon as Brennan could free herself. William and Trevor watched silently from the hallway.

After some time, Brennan got Sophie to let go, though the crying didn't stop, and was able to kiss Jillian goodbye and leave. Angela gathered the distraught child in her arms and carried her away from the doorway. It took a while, but they got Sophie to stop crying. William and Trevor had been eagerly waiting to play with Sophie since she arrived. Now that Sophie was back to her usual self, William grabbed Sophie's hand and led her to the playroom with Trevor running alongside excitedly.

Brennan stared out the window of the car, completely absorbed with her thoughts. She had always loved her job and she always loved doing her best. Booth was the same way. But since becoming a parent, getting called away from her kids to investigate a murder caused conflict in her life. She wanted to do her best for the victim's sake, but she also didn't like spending too much time away from her kids. Sophie had only recently started throwing fits when they left her with someone else and it made it only harder to say goodbye to her. Jillian had tried to grab Brennan when she kissed her goodbye. She felt Jillian's little hands trying to get a good grip on her shirt when she leaned in.

"You ok, Bones?" Booth asked, glancing over at her.

"I'm just thinking about the girls." She answered.

"Yeah, me too." He admitted.

* * *

"Mommy! Daddy!" Sophie screamed in delight as she ran to her parents. Booth and Brennan had just come home several days later and barely walked in the door before Sophie had spotted them.

"Hi, munchkin!" Booth swept Sophie up off the ground. He kissed her soundly on the cheek. Sophie's arms went around his neck and squeezed tightly. When she let go, she leaned over, reaching for Brennan.

"Hi, Soph." Brennan snatched Sophie and held her close. "Did you have fun with the boys?"

Sophie nodded and smiled. Angela appeared with sleepy-eyed Jillian, who just woke up form her nap. Booth smiled and reached for her. "Come here, sweetheart." Jillian rewarded him with a smile.

"You ready to go home, Sophie?" Booth asked her.

"Yes!" She exclaimed.

"Ok, sounds like she's ready." Booth shifted Jillian to one arm and grabbed the girls' bags with his free hand. "What do you think, Jilly baby? You want to go home?" He asked her, pressing a kiss to her round cheek.

They headed out, saying goodbyes to the Hodgins family as they went. It was good to be back and to have their girls back in their arms once more.

**February 2, 2014**

Booth watched his son and his friends go crazy playing whirly ball. Parker had just turned thirteen and was celebrating. Booth couldn't believe it. He was the father of a teenager. It probably wouldn't seem so strange if he didn't also have a child still in diapers. Sophie stood by the window of the court. She jumped up and down and screamed encouragement to Parker. He waved at her and then proceeded to steal the ball from one of his friends on the other team.

"Good job, Parker!" She yelled. Booth laughed. She loved her big brother so much. "Go, Parker! Go!"

Booth wondered how the teenage years with Parker were going to go. He was a good kid. He always had been. He was a great brother to the girls and he had been very accepting to Brennan as a step mom when she married Booth. He did decent in school and he was an outstanding athlete. He was a good kid. Yet something about the teenage years was daunting to Booth. Perhaps because he remembered all too well what he was like in high school.

**May 2014**

"Booth, get in here!" Brennan hollered from the kids' play room. Booth heard her from the kitchen and came running.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked. He scanned the room to see if one of the girls was hurt.

"Jillian took her first steps!" Brennan told him. She was sitting on the floor with Jillian. "Here, watch."

She set ten-month-old Jillian next to the couch and scooted away. Jillian naturally pulled herself up to the standing position using the couch for support. Booth watched as Brennan coaxed Jillian towards her. Jillian let go of the couch and took a few unsteady steps toward Brennan. She wobbled and Brennan reached for her, pulling her into her lap and dropping repeated kisses onto her head. Booth smiled broadly and got down on the floor.

"Good job, Jilly!" Booth told her. She smiled, showing off her two bottom front teeth.

"She took her first steps months before Sophie did." Brennan remarked.

"Bones…" Booth shot her a look.

"I'm not saying Sophie is less intelligent for that. I'm just saying Jillian is learning faster. That's all."

Booth couldn't argue with that. He glanced over at Sophie playing with her baby dolls on the other side of the room, completely oblivious to what they were talking about. Booth kissed Brennan's brow and went back to the fixing the kitchen sink.

**June 2014**

Booth paced the length of the bedroom, making Brennan smile at the sight he made. "Why are you so tense?" She asked him.

"I'm not tense. Just… not knowing is making me crazy."

"Well, we'll know in a minute. Just stop pacing."

"Not gonna happen." He said, continuing along the long side of the room.

"You're cute when you're anxious." She told him. He shot her an annoyed look she knew all too well.

The timer went off and Brennan jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Booth froze in place. "Well?" He asked her. She emerged from the bathroom with a glowing smile.

"We're pregnant again!"

**

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REVIEWS PLEASE!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey Guys! So I really would like to know what you guys thought of this chapter so make sure to leave a review at then end! Thanks for the reviews that you guys have left so far. You guys are awesome :) **

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Chapter Nine

**July 18 2014**

Brennan pressed her ear to Jillian's bedroom door and listened closely. She heard movement followed by Jillian's soft voice making sounds that almost resembled words. She opened the door to find her daughter sitting up in her crib with her stuffed rabbit in hand. "Good morning, Jilly baby."

Jillian pulled herself to her feet and reached for Brennan, straining to get out of the crib. Brennan lifted Jillian out of the crib and brought her close for a kiss before settling her on one hip. Jillian had gone through a growth spurt in the last three weeks. She looked so big to Brennan now, like a toddler rather than her baby girl. And today was her first birthday.

Brennan's ran her hand over Jillian's hair, trying to smooth out the dark locks that stood up at awkward angles. Her hair was getting longer and curling at the ends in an adorable way that Brennan loved, her brown eyes were still as big and beautiful as ever and her smile was now accompanied by two more baby teeth on top.

"You're growing so fast." Brennan told Jillian, who at that moment rested her head on Brennan's shoulder. She pressed a kiss to Jillian's forehead and headed downstairs with her.

"There's the birthday girl!" Booth greeted them as he continued making pancakes for everyone.

"Morning, Jillian." Parker grabbed Jillian from Brennan. "Time to fly!" He lifted her up and ran around the room with Jillian. She was laughing uncontrollably by the time he gave her back to Brennan.

"Now she's awake." Brennan commented as Jillian stared up at her with wide eyes full of merriment.

"My turn, Parker!" Sophie begged, wanting some attention of her own. Parker had just plopped himself back in his seat. He grumbled because Sophie was heavier than Jillian but complied. "Ok, Soph. Come on."

Booth set the plate of pancakes in the middle of the table. "I didn't get to say good morning to the munchkin yet. Come here, Jilly." Booth scooped Jillian out of Brennan's arms and kissed her heartily on the cheek. "I can't believe you're a year old already."

He set her down in her high chair and pulled it closer to the table next to him. They enjoyed a nice family breakfast before everyone needed to get dressed for the party and put the house in order.

* * *

"Look at Jilly! She's bigger than when I saw her last." Angela commented as Jillian and Aaron played nearby.

"Yes, in the last few weeks, she's gone through a significant growth spurt." Brennan agreed. "How has the pregnancy been going?"

Angela rested a hand on her protruding belly. She was eight months pregnant with her and Hodgins' first girl. They were ecstatic. "It's been going well. I'm getting a little impatient for her due date to come already, though."

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Brennan wanted know.

Angela beamed. "We have, but we are keeping it a secret."

Cam plopped down on the couch next to the two ladies. "Oh, I'm exhausted." She complained. "Those boys are just too hyper." As if on cue, William, Trevor, and Robbie ran past, screaming and hollering.

"Where's Soph? She's usually always with Trevor." Brennan asked.

"She's guarding their fort from William and Robbie."

"They have a fort?" Angela asked.

"William grabbed two blankets and threw one over the dinning room table and one over the card table in the play room."

They changed subjects after that, moving from one topic to another before it eventually came back to pregnancy.

"So Cam, do you know if you are having a boy or girl yet?" Angela asked. Cam had just informed the group a couple weeks ago that she and Josh were expecting again.

"No, but I have an appointment in two weeks. We might find out then."

Brennan thought of telling Cam and Angela right then that she was pregnant too. However, she and Booth hadn't discussed when they were telling people yet and it didn't seem right to tell people without him there.

"What about you, Bren? Any more baby Booths joining the group in the future?"

Brennan shrugged. "We'll see."

Jillian toddled over to the women and was greeted with adoring smiles. Jillian leaned her body against Brennan's knees and reached her arms up. Brennan grabbed her daughter and snuggled her into her lap.

"She's such a sweetie." Angela commented, brushing locks of Jillian's hair out of her face.

"And she's so big." Added Cam.

"That's what I said earlier!" Angela told her. "Doesn't she just look like such a toddler now?"

"Yeah, she does. She's growing out of that baby look." Cam said.

William appeared without any of his sidekicks. "Auntie Bren, is it time for cake yet?" He asked.

"William, can't you think about anything else?" His mother teased. The boy smiled and turned his eyes back to Brennan.

"I suppose we could get dessert out. Go get the other children, William."

"Yes!" He exclaimed, running off to the playroom to get Sophie and the other boys.

"Just what my boy needs. More sugar." Angela said.

* * *

The party was a good time. All the kids left the Booth household worn out and happy. Booth tucked Jillian into bed that night, marveling at how quickly her first year had passed.

He found Brennan already in bed with a book. He fell into bed next to her and groaned.

"You seem tired" She said without raising her eyes from the page she was on.

"Gee, what gave it away?" He said and then couldn't stifle the yawn that followed.

"What about you? How are you doing?" He asked. She knew he was referring to the fact that she was pregnant. He was always so concerned for her when she was.

"I'm fine." She responded. As she did, she felt his hand slip to her still flat abdomen.

"And how about this little one?" He lowered his head and talked directly to her stomach.

"Booth, at this stage in my pregnancy…" She began.

"I know, I know." He cut her off. "The baby can't hear yet. Doesn't mean I can't talk to it, regardless."

Brennan rolled her eyes, but still smiled at her sweet husband. He pressed a gentle kiss to her belly which evoked a giggle from her.

"What?" He asked.

"That tickled." She told him. "Stop it!" She raised her voice as he did it again.

"Shh! You're going to wake the kids." He said as he kept his lips pressed lightly against the fabric of her nightshirt.

She laughed even louder from the sensation and pushed his head away. "Seeley Joseph Booth!" She warned him like he was one of her children being unruly. He threw his hands up in surrender and flashed her that oh-so-charming smile.

"I was just trying to show my unborn child some affection." He told her with an innocent look he had perfected.

"Well, if you would like to be shown some affection from your _wife_ any time in the future, you should stop." She threatened him. His smile faltered for a moment before it grew even bigger than before when he realized she was just teasing.

"I'm sorry, Babe." He told her sweetly. "Were you feeling ignored?" He brought his lips to hers. Her book was long forgotten and about to fall off the side of the bed unnoticed when a soft knock on the door brought them both to a halt.

"Who is it?"

"Me!"

Booth smiled and shook his head. "Me!" could only be Sophie, but he decided to tease.

"Who's me? I don't know a 'me'."

"Daddy!" She whined. "It's Sophie Grace Booth!" Came the three-year-old's louder response.

"Come in." Brennan told her, not wanting Booth and Sophie's antics to wake Jillian.

Sophie entered looking a little sleepy-eyed and tired.

"What's the matter, munchkin?" Brennan asked her. Sophie climbed up in the bed and slid in between her mom and dad.

"I can't sleep."

"Why not?"

"I hear talking."

Booth shot Brennan an I-told-you-so look. "This is not my fault!" She whispered to him over the top of Sophie's head. He grinned, knowing it was indeed his doing.

"Come on, Munchkin. I'll go lay down with you until you fall asleep again." Brennan grabbed Sophie's hand and the two walked of the room. As they did, Brennan looked back at Booth to let him know that he was in trouble. He smiled as he watched them leave together. He caught the way her hand absent-mindedly went to her stomach for a moment. He started to think about the fourth little one in the making. He thought about whether it would be a boy or girl and how that would factor into their family. "Three girls all in a row…" He pondered the possibility for a moment. "Those teen years will be a nightmare! Not to mention all the boys I'll have to scare away." But even with that in mind, he couldn't deny the fact that another endearing little girl would be wonderful. Or a little boy. It seemed like ages ago since Parker had been a little tyke running around. A little brother that Sophie would boss around and dote on while Jillian would smother him with hugs and kisses. Parker would finally have that little brother he'd been waiting for. Either way, this new baby was sure to bring more love and joy to their home.

**August 2014**

"Alright, Parker, what is this really about?' Booth sat down with his son for a serious man-to-man. The boy had been impossible the past week. It seemed like more that just the usual teenager crap.

"I'm just pissed off." Parker said with his eyes glued to the floor.

"Ok, about what?" Booth prodded.

Parker sighed and met his father's gaze. "I just don't like it when I come over here and you and Bones treat me like I'm Sophie or Jillian.

"What?" Booth asked, thoroughly confused.

"I love Sophie and Jillian, but I'm thirteen, Dad, and the next oldest is three. I feel like you both forget how old I am. Like last week, Bones started to tell me to go in a time out and think about what I did before she realized who she was talking to."

Booth couldn't help but crack a smile. He could see it. Parker smiled a little, too, at the memory.

"I'm not a baby, Dad, but sometimes you and Bones treat me like I am." Parker said, returning to all seriousness.

"I'm sorry, Bub. I didn't that was happening." Booth told his son. Parker nodded.

"Now, wasn't that better than making us all miserable with your attitude?" Booth teased.

Parker laughed. "Yeah."

"Next time, just come to me right away. I was a step away from grounding you."

"Ok, Dad, I will."

**August 13, 2014**

"Mommy, I want to see the new baby!" Sophie whined as they waited for news of Angela's baby girl.

"It's not time yet, Soph." Brennan told her daughter for the millionth time.

"Why not?" Sophie asked.

"Just because." Brennan told her. Sophie's constant questioning had started to get on her last nerve. "Go play with Trevor. He's back from the bathroom." Sophie spun around to see Booth coming back from taking William and Trevor to the bathroom.

Jillian walked over to her daddy and silently begged with outstretched arms to be in his lap. He picked up his snuggle bug and she rested her head on his chest.

"She might fall asleep on you soon." Brennan told him, watching the way Jillian's eyelids drooped.

"Mommy, I want a snack." Sophie said in her whiney voice.

Brennan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If you ask nicely, I'll get you something."

"Please, Mommy." Sophie said, with a hint of whine in her voice.

"Good enough." She mumbled. "I'll be right back, Booth."

Brennan stood up and stretched her legs before starting to walk out of the hospital waiting room. Sophie skipped along energetically next to her. Brennan reached for Sophie's hand and they left together.

* * *

Brenna Pearl Hodgins was perfection. That was the only thought on Jack Hodgins' mind as he held his daughter for the first time. 8 lbs 2 oz of perfection.

"Hey, Beautiful." He whispered to her. "Daddy's got you."

Angela's heart melted just watching them. It was a precious sight to behold; her husband and their daughter who was just minutes old. It had taken almost six years of marriage and three wonderful yet troublemaking sons to arrive at this moment.

"You lucked out, Babe." Hodgins spoke softly his sleeping daughter. "From what I can tell, you are going to look just like your gorgeous mother."

They shared a few precious moments, just the three of them, before Jack went to go fetch his three little men. William, almost five, was the most eager to meet his little sister, although three-year-old Trevor and 21-month-old Aaron were also excited. Hodgins opened the door to Angela's room and the three boys trooped in, oldest to youngest.

"Where's baby Brenna?" William asked, running up to Angela's bedside. There was no need to answer his question because he spotted his little sister's peeking out of the blanket she was bundled in while Angela held her. Trevor and Aaron followed suit and stood next to William, looking on in awe at the newest addition to their family.

"Can I hold her?" Trevor asked.

"No! Me first! I'm the oldest!" William argued.

"I asked first!" Trevor whined.

"Both of you stop." Hodgins warned.

"Trevor asked first so he gets to hold baby Brenna first, then William can have a turn." Angela told the boys. "No fighting or neither of you will be able to hold her."

Hodgins lifted Trevor up onto the bed next to Angela. He lifted Brenna and waited for Trevor to get situated in Angela's lap before he placed Brenna in Trevor's eager arms. Angela assisted him and made sure he was holding her correctly. Trevor looked down at his little sister and then sent Hodgins a beaming smile.

After Trevor's little arms got tired, Hodgins had William sit down in a chair with a pillow in his lap. Then Brenna was given to her oldest brother under the watchful eye of her father. Little Aaron would not be left out of the fun and soon he took Trevor's spot in Angela's lap and then got acquainted with his little sister. Once all the boys had been able to hold the baby, she was given back to her mother and

* * *

"You named her after me?" Brennan asked as she held her namesake for the first time. Angela smiled and nodded. "She's a beautiful little girl, Ang."

"Yeah, I just might keep her." Angela said with obvious affection for the little one in her voice.

"Her brothers are already crazy about her." Hodgins said.

"I can see why." Brennan said, running her hand over the baby's soft head of hair.

"Congratulations, you two." Booth said. "Finally, a girl to add into the mix."

"Just think how much fun she'll have with your girls." Angela said. "She and Jillian aren't too far apart in age."

"Not too mention that Bones and Cam are due only about a month apart." Booth added.

"Oh yeah, these little ones will have fun alright." Angela concluded.

**A week later**

"Hodgins, were you able to get anything off the victim's clothes?" Brennan asked her friend. They were in the lab, working hard on a new case. Hodgins yawned before answering. Brennan cracked a smile when he did.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" She asked.

"Not nearly enough." He told her. "Between Brenna waking up in the middle of the night for a feeding and Trevor having nightmares, it's a wonder I got any sleep at all."

Before Brennan could respond, she was seized by pain in her lower abdomen.

"Brennan, are you alright?" Hodgins asked, panicked by the sight of her doubled over.

"I – I don't know. Ah!" She groaned as another wave hit her.

"Come on, let's go. I'm taking you to the hospital." Hodgins said, taking Brennan by the arm and helping her to his car.

Booth's heart pounded in his chest. He rushed through the doors into the ER waiting room. He quickly scanned for Hodgins and ran over to him once he found him.

"How is she? What happened?" He asked frantically.

"I'm not sure. She was in pain. I got her here as fast as I could. I haven't heard anything since we got here."

Booth nodded and tried to calm his racing heart. "Thanks, Hodgins. I …"

"Don't worry about it." Hodgins phone went off. He checked it. "It's Angela. I'll be right back."

Booth paced the length of the waiting room for several minutes, just waiting for someone – anyone – to tell him how his wife and unborn child were. Every time a doctor or nurse came out, he froze and waited to see if they were coming to talk to him. Finally, a doctor emerged and called his name.

"That's me."

"Mr. Booth, I'm very sorry, but your wife had an ectopic pregnancy."

"What does that mean? Is she ok?"

"In an ectopic pregnancy, the baby starts to develop outside of the womb. In your wife's case, the baby was growing in her fallopian tube. Her tube ruptured when they fetus grew too big."

"Oh my god…"

"She's ok. She got here soon and we were able to stop the bleeding. However, in cases like these, there was nothing we could do to save the baby."

Booth nodded somberly. The doctor gave him a sympathetic look.

"If you'll come with me, I can take you to see your wife."

He followed the doctor through the hall. His mind was consumed by the news he had just received. He still had his wife, thank god, but not a new child to look forward to. An ache in his chest made it hard to breathe. The doctor stopped in the middle of the hall.

"Here's your wife's room."

He peered in. There she was, sitting up in a hospital bed, eyes gazing vacantly out the window. She looked pale and withdrawn. He took a few steps in and she heard him, turning her heard towards him to meet his gaze.

"Hey." He murmured softly.

"Did the doctors tell you…" She began.

"Yes." He answered quickly so she wouldn't have to say it. He sat down next to her on the edge of the bed and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and rested her head on his chest. They stayed like that for several minutes, neither one talking, just seeking solace in one another. Booth could tell by her breathing that she was silently crying. He reached his other arm around her and shifted his position on the bed so that she was resting against his side with her head still pillowed against his chest while he held her. Brennan's cry became audible while Booth took a deep breath and wiped the few stray tears from his own eyes.

* * *

**Please Review! I want to know your thoughts on this fic**


	11. Chapter 10

**I'm wondering how many of you are still interested in this story... reviews have been dwindling and so it seems pointless to keep writing this if no one likes it anymore. If you still read this story, tell me! Leave a review! Thanks. And thanks to those of you who have left reviews in the past :) **

* * *

Chapter Ten

**September 2014**

"Is it time for the movie, Daddy?" Sophie asked, bouncing up and down with energy.

"Yes, go sit in the living room and wait." Booth told his daughter.

"But I want popcorn." Sophie said.

"Go sit. I'll bring it in as soon as it's ready." Sophie spun around and ran into the living room. Jillian, who had been at her side, turned around and toddled after her. It was Friday night and Brennan was working late at the lab. Booth had picked up Parker and came home just before dinner and relieved the nanny of his two goofballs. A movie night seemed an ideal way to relax and help Sophie and Jillian wind down.

The microwave beeped so Booth pulled the bag out of the microwave. He poured the contents of it into a bowl, popped a few pieces into his mouth, and went to grab a glass of water. By the time he had grabbed a glass and turned to the refrigerator, Sophie had scampered in and was cramming her mouth full of popcorn.

"I told you to wait in the living room." He told her, but couldn't help but laugh at the sight she made.

"I saw you eat some." She told him with a full mouth, making it hard to tell what she was saying. He couldn't argue with a three-year-old's reasoning so he just chuckled and poured himself and Sophie a glass of water.

"Come on, let's go watch the movie." He grabbed the popcorn off the table and sat down on his favorite side of the couch. Jillian immediately wanted to be in his lap. He picked up his snuggle bug and they both got comfy for the movie. Sophie found a spot, but couldn't stay in the same place for too long. She ended up half watching the movie, half playing with her toys and distracting everyone in the room. By the time it was over, Jillian had fallen asleep in his arms, but Sophie was still up and awake. He tucked Jillian into bed and spent the next half hour with Sophie, reading bed time stories and getting her ready for sleep. He closed her bedroom door behind him and went to his study. He wanted to review the file from the new case he and Bones were working on and now that his little ones were in bed, he had time.

He heard the back door open and close. He glanced at the clock and realized he'd been in his study for a while. It wasn't long before Brennan appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Babe." He greeted her.

"Working on the case?"

"Yeah. What did you learn at the lab?"

The next hour was spent discussing the most recent murder. Even with two kids and a teenager, they still managed to do what they did best. If anything, their three kids gave them a drive to do even better, to keep the world safer from murders and criminals. They finally crawled into bed, exhausted from the day, and slept.

**October 2014**

"Boys, listen to Uncle Seeley and Aunt Tempe and don't cause any trouble." Angela warned her little monsters before she and Hodgins left for a night out without the kids. William, Trevor, and Aaron agreed and said goodbye to their parents. Sophie and Jillian were more than excited to have them over, but they weren't the only ones. Bones was getting baby Brenna out of her car seat just seconds after the Hodgins family had walked in. Now, she cradled her namesake and talked to her, coaxing a smile from the infant. She was a beautiful babe, taking strongly after her mother. Brenna and Aaron looked the most like their mother while Trevor was like an exact copy of their father. William was a handsome mix of both with Angela's dark locks, Hodgins' curls and his facial structure, accompanied with adorable dimples and his mother's smile.

It was a busy night keeping five kids occupied and looking after an infant, but Booth and Bones enjoyed themselves nonetheless. The older the kids got, the more fun they seemed to have with each other. William, Trevor, and Sophie especially got along well. Jillian and Aaron were buddies too, along with Robbie when he was with them.

"Alright, it's my turn with baby Brenna." Booth told his wife after she had had more that enough time with the little one. She handed over Brenna to Booth and went to play with the kids. Booth held Brenna just like he used to hold his kids when they were that small. It hadn't been that long since Jillian was that size, but it seemed like so long ago.

Bedtime with the kids was even more of an adventure. William and Trevor were in sleeping bags on Sophie's floor while Aaron was put in Jillian's room with her. Brenna's portable crib was set up in the guest room. It was easy to get Brenna to sleep since she was the only one in a room by herself. Sophie, William, and Trevor were up half the night talking and giggling and Booth and Bones had to go in there several times to quiet them down. Aaron and Jillian were quiet, even if they weren't asleep. Booth stopped by the door and couldn't hear any noise. He headed back to the living room after quieting Sophie and the boys for the fifth time.

"They'll fall asleep eventually." Bones told him as he collapsed next to her on the couch.

"What did I miss?" He asked, referring to the movie they were watching.

"Nothing important." She said.

They heard more giggles down the hall from Sophie's room. "They are having too much fun." Booth commented.

"It's nice, though. Having all the kids together, I mean. I love watching them interact with each other."

"Yeah, it's nice." Booth said, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Booth?"

"What?"

"Do you think about the miscarriage often?" She asked. He was caught off guard by her question. They hadn't talked too much about it since it happened.

"All the time." He told her honestly.

"Me too." She said quietly.

"Do you ever think about trying again?" He asked.

"All the time." She answered. A silence settled between them. The giggles grew loud again and it was Brennan's turn to go settle the kids down.

**December 3, 2014**

"I want mommy!" Robbie Klein exclaimed for the third time. Angela tried again to calm the poor boy down, but it was no use. While Cam was in labor, Robbie was stuck in the waiting room and was ready for this whole thing to be over with.

"Here, Robbie." Aaron came along side his distressed friend and held out a toy to him. Robbie took the toy and went with Aaron to play with Jillian. Angela shook her head in amazement and went back to the chair she had vacated.

Hodgins held four-month-old Brenna and bounced her on his knee. She smiled up at him adoringly, lighting up the faces of both of her parents.

"She has a very joyous demeanor." Brennan commented.

"Yeah, she's a good baby." Hodgins agreed. "Aren't you, Brenna?" He pulled her close for a quick kiss on her round, feathery cheek.

"I wanna kiss Brenna." Aaron announced, walking over to his parents. Angela pulled her youngest son into her lap so he could reach the baby. Aaron leaned over and kissed Brenna on the cheek. Out of all the Hodgins boys, he was the most attached to Brenna. He got jealous whenever William or Trevor was holding Brenna and he was always being gentle and loving with her. One thing was plainly obvious to Angela; her boys may fight a lot and wreak havoc wherever they went, but they all adored Brenna.

"She's going to be so spoiled." Angela said.

"Not spoiled, just treated well." Booth corrected.

"Yeah, I guess that's a better way of putting it. Between her dad and three brothers, she gets a whole lot of doting."

* * *

Jasmine Camille Klein arrived, healthy and perfect. Robbie, after finally being able to see his parents, was over the moon with excitement about his new little sister.

"I can already tell that Brenna and Jasmine are going to have a lot fun together as they grow." Angela said, gazing down at the newborn in her arms.

"Yeah, having fun causing trouble." Hodgins added.

"It'll be nice having the two girls so close in age." Brennan commented. The others grew quiet, realizing that in a month or so would be the time that Booth and Brennan's child should have been born. Then the three babies could have all been close in age. Brennan didn't notice the change in everyone. Booth threw in a funny comment to change the subject and the group was back to merriment once more.

**January 4, 2015**

It was a day like any other day, but it shouldn't have been. For Booth and Bones, it could have held so much more meaning. Booth stood in front of the mirror fixing his tie, deep in thought. When he had it just right, He stepped away from the mirror and grabbed his suit jacket. Brennan was in the kitchen, getting breakfast for Sophie. Booth entered and just watched her for a moment. If he didn't know her, he wouldn't think anything was wrong, but Booth could tell that this day was cutting into her heart just as deeply as it was his. They didn't exchange their usual morning greeting, but instead held a long look that said everything they felt. Sophie, too young to notice anything out of the ordinary, chatted away happily as she ate her breakfast. Booth dropped a kiss on top of her head as he passed her, heading for the coffee pot.

"Is Jillian up yet?' He asked.

"Not since I was upstairs, but she should be up soon."

"I'll go check on her." Booth offered. He took a gulp of his hot coffee and set it down on the kitchen table. He took the stairs two at a time and arrived at Jillian's door. Opening it just a crack, he peeked in on his 18-month-old. Jillian heard the door open and sat up almost abruptly. Her face broke out into a huge grin and her arms stretched forward. "Dada." She said.

"There's my happy girl." He scooped her up and held her close, pressing kisses to her round cheeks, which were still flushed from sleep. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and she rested her head against him. She was such a joy in his life; sweet and affectionate and always happy in the morning. It was especially nice on this morning.

"Let's go get some breakfast, Jilly Baby."

When they reached the kitchen, Sophie was just finishing up her breakfast. Jillian spotted Brennan and instinctively reached for her, almost falling out of Booth's grasp in the process.

"Good morning, Jilly." Brennan snatched Jillian from Booth and pulled her close. It was her turn to receive some comfort from their youngest child.

"Mommy, I'm all done!" Sophie announced.

"Ok, go upstairs and I'll be there in a minute to help you get dressed." Brennan handed Jillian back to Booth and gave him a quick kiss before grabbing Sophie's dishes off the table and following after her rambunctious three and a half year old.

The babysitter arrived just as both girls were finished being fed and dressed for the day. Brennan and Booth made it out the door to work. Just like any other day.

* * *

Brennan entered the house through the back door in the kitchen. She could hear giggles coming from the playroom and followed the sound. The babysitter was in there with Sophie and Jillian. Sophie spotted Brennan first.

"Hi, Mommy."

"Hi, Soph. Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah. We went out in the snow!" Sophie told her mother with sparkling eyes. Brennan sat down on the couch and pulled Sophie into her lap, letting the toddler prattle on. Some of it made sense, some of it didn't, but it didn't matter. Bones paid the babysitter for the week and let her leave. She kicked off her heals that had been killing her all day and she got on the floor to play with her daughters. She loved just watching them, seeing their interactions with each other and with their toys, making them come to life in their own mind. Sophie had a wild imagination that never ceased to entertain her. Brennan listened to her while she played and watched Jillian follow whatever Sophie did. It wasn't long before Jillian lost interest in what they were playing and crawled into her mother's lap.

Brennan smiled down at her littlest girl with wispy brown hair and big brown eyes. She looked a lot like Booth, but she was starting to show more of Brennan's characteristics in her face now, too. Like her nose, Brennan noted.

Sophie looked over at Brennan and Jillian and decided to join. She ran over and plopped down on Brennan's leg, practically knocking Brennan backwards in the process.

"Whoa, not so fast, Soph."

"Mommy, can you read to us?" She asked, ignoring Brennan's previous comment.

"Yes, go grab a book." Sophie jumped up and ran to get her favorite story. Brennan lifted Jillian as she stood and moved to couch. Once those two were situated, Sophie joined them, squeezing onto Brennan's already full lap. This was how Booth found them when he came home. His gorgeous wife and his beautiful girls all snuggled up together on the couch reading books. He decided to join them and took the spot next to Brennan. Sophie scooted into his lap and all four sat their contentedly listening to Brennan read aloud the story.

It was a calm night with the girls, which was exactly what Booth and Brennan needed. They put the girls to bed on time and retreated to the living room. Booth had wanted to talk to Brennan all day, but there had never been time between taking care of the girls and solving a case. Finally, it was just the two of them at the end of the day. Booth wrapped an arm around Brennan's shoulders and she rested her head on his chest.

"It's been one long day." Booth said. "I guess it's a good thing I was so busy. I didn't have time to get to dwell on certain things."

"Like the baby?" Brennan asked, fairly certain that this was what he was referring to.

"Yeah." He said softly. Their baby. They had lost something special several months ago and today brought up all the emotions they felt when Brennan had the miscarriage. "We could have had a new little one today."

"I'm not pregnant." Brennan stated sadly. They had been trying for months. After losing their baby, they realized just how much they wanted another child. Yet nothing had come of it.

"It could still happen, Bones."

"It's not very likely."

"Bones…" He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It could still happen."

**April 2015**

The day was turning into a stressful one for Booth. It started off with Sophie being in a foul mood and that made her more of a nuisance to Parker, who would in turn snap at her and spew sarcastic remarks to Booth. Jillian had an ear infection and was therefore always crabby and permanently attached to Brennan. All Booth had wanted for the day was a nice time with his wife and kids, but it seemed that every one of his kids was in some sort of mood that prevented them from having a good time. The only one not going crazy was Bones. For some reason, she was handling the whole situation a lot better than he was and she seemed calm about whatever came up. Not that she wasn't normally like this, but Booth just seemed to think that she was extra calm and patient today and he couldn't figure out why.

"Here, Sophie, have a snack." Brennan said, handing the almost four year old some goldfish crackers. This pleased Sophie and made her a happy child once again. At least for the next fifteen minutes. Booth doubted this would keep her from returning to her previous mood later on when something didn't go her way.

"Do you want me to take Jillian for a little bit?" Booth offered, noticing the way Brennan kept shifting the growing toddler from one arm to the other.

"If she'll go to you."

Booth held his arms out to Jillian. "Jilly Baby, come see Daddy." When she didn't respond, Booth placed his hands on either side of her and got ready to lift her from Brennan, but Jillian started to whine and clung to Brennan.

The day didn't get any easier from there. Sophie threw a tantrum that landed her in a timeout and Parker was a step away from getting grounded when he mouthed off to Booth, but he realized his mistake and apologized and his attitude was a little better after that. Still, Bones seemed to be taking everything in stride and was extremely caring with their miserable, youngest child. Jillian fell asleep in Brennan's arms, which hadn't happened in months, and went down for a long nap after that.

"What's going on with you today?" Booth asked Brennan.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You just seem… I don't know. Content, calm, happy. Meanwhile, our kids are driving me up a wall and nothing seems to be going the way it should today."

"I just came to the realization that after months of trying for another child, we've been unsuccessful and it made me reevaluate our family and I came to the conclusion that if this is how our family will remain, I'm happy being married to you and having Parker, Sophie, and Jillian. So I'm taking pleasure in the everyday moments with our kids, even if everything doesn't go as planned."

He was floored by her response and at the same time, he felt just a bit upset with himself for not having the same attitude that she did. "You're absolutely right, Bones."

"I know."

**May 2015**

"Oh, it's gorgeous outside." Angela commented. Brennan had to agree. They had decided to take their kids to the zoo and the day couldn't have had better weather. It had been fun so far. The kids loved seeing all the animals and Brennan would every now and then say something she found interesting about a particular species that made no sense to any of the kids, but made Angela laugh nonetheless.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." William complained. This was seconded by many of the other little ones.

"We can stop for a snack." She told him. She had made a bag of 'puppy chow' last night and she knew that would go over without a hitch. Indeed, several of the kids made squeals of excitement when she pulled the snack out.

"Good idea." Brennan told her, popping a few pieces into her mouth. The kids crowded the picnic table and ate their snack. Somehow, Jillian had been missed and watched with envy as the rest of the kids munched down. "Want some." She said, but Angela and Brennan were talking and the other kids were talking too and her little voice was lost on them. "Want some." She tried again a little louder. "Want some."

Brennan was midsentence when she came to an abrupt halt over the sound of her child screaming "Want some!"

She turned her see Jillian, face all red, holding her hands out for a snack. "Say please." She told Jillian.

"Please!" The way her aggravated daughter said it came out sounding like "puh-lease!" with as much attitude as possible. Angela stifled a laugh. Brennan could help but smile at her usually mild-mannered child. "Here, Jillybean."

"Thank you." Jillian's voice had returned to her normal, gentle tone and she sat down on the picnic table next to Aaron. Brennan sent Angela a look and both of them shared silent laughter. "She's usually so easy-going, but every now and then, she can get pretty worked up. Then she sounds more like Sophie than herself."

They continued on with the kids, seeing other animals and just having a good time. It wasn't until later on in the day that Angela started getting concerned about Brennan.

"Are you alright?" She asked her friend quietly enough so the children wouldn't hear and get worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just feeling a little tired."

"Ok, are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, I believe so."

Angela watched her friend closely, still feeling that there was something off with Brennan. She had had a sneaking suspicion for a while now that there was something more to Brennan's recent symptoms, but she'd never been completely confident.

"Wait." She grabbed Brennan's arm and made her turn. The kids were paused in front of the cage full of monkeys and were completely occupied by that.

"What?"

"You said last week that you were feeling nauseous ."

"Yes, I believe that was from something I ate."

"And now you are feeling tired all the time. And you've been really moody."

"No I haven't." Brennan said defensively about the last comment, not at all realizing where Angela was going with this.

"Trust me, Sweetie. I know when you are being moody. But that's not my point." She paused for dramatic affect. "You're pregnant."

"No, I'm not." Brennan said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Angela asked.

Brennan paused for a moment. She hadn't really though about it, but it could be true. Ever since that day she told Booth she was happy with the way their family was, they had stopped talking about having a baby. The idea had been put away.

"It's possible." She finally admitted. Angela squealed and hugged her.

"I'm so happy for you!"

"Whoa, we don't even know for sure…" Brennan said.

"But if you are," Angela began, her voice filled with hope for her friend. "Just think how wonderful that would be!"

"Booth and I stopped trying about a month ago." Brennan informed her.

"That's usually when it happens. When you just stop worrying about it and let chips fall where they may."

"There's no proof of that..."

Angela shot her a look and she dropped it.

"I should talk to Booth tonight." Brennan concluded. Angela nodded, hoping with all her heart that another little one was in the making for her best friend.

"Aunt Tempe, look! I can tie my own shoe now." William told Brennan with great pride as he bent down to show her.

"He's so proud of that. It took him a little while, but he finally got it down." Angela explained.

"Good job, buddy!" Brennan praised her godson. He beamed at her and went back to watching the animals with the other kids.

"He's growing up." Brennan commented.

"They all are! Trevor won't let me dress him or pick out his outfits anymore. He has to do it all by himself. I can't believe he's four already. And Aaron and Brenna are getting so big and changing all the time, too."

They spent the remainder of the afternoon at the zoo and the day was a very fun one for Brennan, Angela, and the kids. When it came time to go, Brennan packed her girls into the car and Angela loaded up her brood as well. "Hey," Angela said to Brennan before she got into her car. "Call me later, after you talk to Booth and find out for sure about you-know-what."

"Ok, I will." Brennan promised. She felt an anxious flutter in her heart and tried to keep her mind focused on the facts that it was unlikely for her to be pregnant again, but being married to Booth for all these years had taught her to get her hopes up from time to time and this was certainly one of those times.

She pulled into the garage and got out. Sophie unbuckled herself and ran inside, but Jillian still needed Brennan to get her out of her car seat. She carried Jillian inside where Booth and Parker were. They had decided to have a guys day since Parker was a little old to be hanging out with a bunch of little ones at the zoo. Now, they were glued to the TV watching Sunday night football to wrap up their father-son bonding time on a good note.

"Hi, Daddy!" Sophie ran up and climbed into his lap.

"Hi, Baby. How was the zoo?"

"I saw kangaroo with its baby in her pocket!" She told Booth excitedly. "And I saw an Elephant poop." He had not been expecting this and it made Booth laugh. Brennan's daughter _would_ notice this and report it to him.

"She and the boys were laughing for the longest time." Brennan told him. He didn't doubt it. He shook his head. Oh these kids…

"So it was a fun time?" He asked Sophie. She nodded her head vigorously.

"What about you, little munchkin?" He asked Jillian, who had found her way to the spot next to Parker. Booth tickled her side and she squirmed. "Did you have fun?"

She smiled and nodded as well.

"Booth." Brennan said his name and when he looked, she gestured for him to follow her into a different room. He scooted Sophie off his lap and stood. When they were in the kitchen alone, he spoke.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sensing she had something important to say, especially if she couldn't say it in front of the children.

"Nothing. I just… I was talking with Angela today and… I think I might be pregnant."

Booth's face broke into a huge smile. "Really?"

"I don't know for sure, obviously, but it's possible."

He pulled her into his arms and planted one on her lips. She pulled away after a minute and laughed. "Before you get too excited, we should probably find out for sure."

"Do you want to run to the drug store and I'll make dinner?" He asked.

"Ok." She agreed. She leaned in and kissed him again, more tenderly this time. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

"It is time yet?"

"Booth." Brennan shook her head. He was the worst. Pacing the floor like always. Maybe she should have kept it to herself until she knew for sure like with her first two pregnancies.

They heard the girls, mainly Sophie, running wild downstairs and hoped Parker was keeping an eye on them.

"It's gotta be soon though, right?"

"Booth!"

The timer went off. Booth and Brennan locked eyes. "Moment of truth." He said with a small smile. He grabbed her hand and together they looked.

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**Who would like this story to keep going? Who doesn't care? **


	12. Chapter 11

**To say that it's been a while would be a huge understatement! It's been almost exactly a year! It really hasn't seemed that long! So sorry to those of you who continued to review on this story and have been waiting so long for the update. I really do appreciate all your feedback on this story. When I expressed that I didn't feel like anyone was interested in this story, I got the most reviews on any chapter from any story I've written yet, telling me to continue. Thank you for sticking with this when I lost inspiration for a while. It's back! and I've got some good plans for the following chapters that I hope you guys will love! Enjoy! **

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Chapter Eleven

**May 2015**

"Parker, come in here for a second." Booth called to his son. It was a Saturday and the girls were preoccupied in the play room so it was the perfect opportunity. Brennan was standing next to Booth and sent him an excited smile.

"What's up?" Parker asked when he entered the room.

"We have something we'd like to tell you." Brennan said.

"Are you finally getting me the laptop I wanted?" Parker asked with a joking yet somewhat hopeful smile.

Booth shook his head at his fourteen-year-old son. "No," Brennan began. "Not even close."

"Well, what is it then?" Parker asked with a shrugged.

Booth smiled at Brennan. He never got tired of telling this news to people. "Bones and I are having another baby." He turned to smile at his son.

Parker grinned back. "Cool. Maybe it will _finally_ be a boy this time."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Brennan agreed.

"Bones…" Booth began.

"What? I'm not saying I won't love another girl, but I'm with Parker on this one. A boy would be nice."

Parker stepped forward and embraced his step-mom. "Congrats, Bones."

"Thanks, Parker." She kissed his cheek and let him go.

"Mommy!" Sophie came running in, the sound of distress in her voice.

"What, Babe?"

"Jillian broke my doggie!" She held up the plastic toy that was now in two pieces. Brennan sighed and took the broken toy from Sophie. "Alright, let me see if I can fix this." Brennan and Sophie exited the room.

Booth glanced at the clock. "Parker, you wanna toss the football around with me before dinner?"

"Actually, I got some homework to do."

"I thought you finished it yesterday."

"Yeah, but I forgot about some other homework I had." Parker lied. "I'm just gonna go to my room and finish it."

He left the room and headed up the stairs, making a sharp left after the stairs into his bedroom. He closed the door and collapsed onto his bed. Another baby. Another child for his dad and step-mom to love and devote all their attention to. He knew they loved him, but between Sophie, the energetic trouble-maker, and Jillian, the sweet and affectionate attention grabber, he often felt shuffled to the side. After all, he was able to take care of himself and he probably should take it as a compliment that they trusted him so much, but most of the time, it just felt like they were too busy with his sisters to discipline him or set boundaries. It also didn't help that he was only here a few days a week. He usually loved coming here, but lately it felt nice just to stay at home with his mom. After all, he was her only kid. He didn't need to fight for attention there. It was just him and Rebecca and he kind of liked that now. It wasn't that he hated the thought of having another sibling, but it wasn't going to help if he already felt squeezed out of the picture with just Sophie and Jillian around. And he remembered all too well what it was like having a new baby in the house. Plus, he was going to be in high school this fall. He would probably be the only freshman there with a newborn half-sibling!

There was another part of him that felt just a little bit jealous of Sophie and Jillian's parenting situation. He never had two parents that were together, happy, married. He loved Bones, he really did, but he also sometimes wished that his parents had stayed together. He used to dream about it when he was younger. Back then, he never really understood why it didn't work out. After all, he loved both of them and couldn't imagine two better parents. Why shouldn't they be together? He used to ask himself that question all the time, but as he got older, reality smacked him across the face. His parents would never get together, that much he knew. Plus, by then Bones had come into their lives and the rest was history.

As he laid there, staring up at the ceiling with hands tucked behind his head, he lost himself in thought. A million different emotions surfaced over the most recent news from his dad, but attached to each one of those feelings was guilt. He should be thrilled, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his life was about to change and not in a good way. Parker shook his head. What was his problem? He decided he needed to get out of his room. He had wasted over an hour just lying there. The scent of Brennan's fettuccine alfredo wafted up the stairs. Dinner. Perfect. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he smelled the delicious food he was sure to enjoy.

Parker got up and flew down the stairs and into the kitchen. He halted for a minute in the doorway. There was dad at the head of the table with Jillian at one side in her booster seat and Sophie sitting across from her, chatting and squirming. Bones sat at the other end of the table, telling Sophie to stop banging her fork on the plate. They made a nice picture, just the four of them. They were their own little family. And then there was him. Parker wasn't sure just how much he felt a part of this family anymore. He wasn't sure how long they had all been sitting there around the table, but he couldn't get rid of the thought that they were starting without him and he had just stumbled upon them uninvited.

"What? You don't even call me down for dinner anymore?" He said, only half joking as he took his spot next to Sophie.

Booth and Brennan shared a mutual look of confusion and concern over Parker's comment. "Have a seat, Bub. We called your name twice." Booth said. "We've been waiting for you."

Parker's face flushed slightly, but wouldn't meet Booth or Brennan's eye. Ok, maybe he was over-thinking things just a little. He needed to get out of the house and clear his head.

**July 2015 **

"Sweetie, are you sure you'll be fine to travel?"

"Ange, I'm fine. And so is the baby."

"Ok, but just take it easy while you're gone and solve the case as quickly as possible."

"I'm not going to rush the process just so I can come home and prop my feet up. This is a murder case. The victim deserves our full devotion to finding the killer. Can I drop the girls off on Thursday? Our plane leaves at noon so it will probably be early in the morning."

"Yes, that's fine. We can't wait to have them over; I'm just worried about you."

"You're a good friend, Angela, but quit worrying."

"That's not going to happen."

"Bye Ange." Brennan said into the phone.

"Bye. See you on Thursday."

**Next Thursday**

Booth rang the doorbell to the Hodgins estate. It was about a minute before Angela arrived at the door with eleven-month-old Brenna on one hip.

"Good morning! Hi girls! Come on in."

Booth entered and placed the girls' bags on the floor in the foyer. Sophie came bouncing in, very excited to spend some time with the Hodgins boys. Jillian didn't throw a fit or cry, but it was clear to Brennan that her two-year-old was not happy about the whole ordeal. She clung to Brennan's hand and wouldn't let go. Angela talked to her and tried to coax a smile out of her, but was unsuccessful.

"She'll be fine once we're gone." Brennan assured her friend.

"Hi Sophie! Hi Jilly!" Trevor greeted, running down the stairs after hearing the guests arrive. William and Aaron were close on his heels as the three boys thundered down the stairs.

"Do you want to play with my trains?" Trevor asked. The boy was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and anything remotely to do with it. Luckily for him, Sophie was all for the idea. "Come on." He said once she agreed and took off running to playroom. Sophie was quick to follow. William went with, but Aaron stayed put next to Angela.

"Jillian, the boys really want to play with you and Sophie. Let's go with Aaron to the playroom, ok?" Brennan lead the two younger ones over to the rest of the gang and once they were all engaged in play, she slipped out back to where Booth and Angela were talking.

"… and she has her blanket and bunny in here too, so just make sure she has those when she goes to sleep."

"Alright, you two. You should go and make sure you catch that flight. Be careful." Angela said, looking directly at Brennan for her last comment.

"We'll be fine. Thanks for watching the girls. We'll call you when we know for sure what day we'll be back."

They left then. Sophie and Jillian were having a great time with the boys and didn't even notice, which was for the best. The rest of the day ran relatively smoothly for Angela and Jack, having to deal with only minor fits and crying that was to be expected. By the time dinner rolled around though, both parents were tired while the six kids were high strung and hyper.

"We're putting a movie on tonight." Angela decided. Jack was quick to agree. They got all the kids in pj's, made popcorn and filled sippy cups with water, grabbed plenty of pillows and blankets, and got all the kids cozy in their home theater room.

"Finally, some down time." Angela sighed, leaning her head against Jack's shoulder.

"I hope they sleep good and long tonight. Last time the boys were at Booth and Brennan's, they said the kids were up half the night."

"Well, we've already got one little one that looks like she's going to be out soon." Angela said, looking down at Brenna, who was resting in Jack's arms. Her eyelids were drooping fast. It was only a matter of minutes before she would be asleep. Angela bent down and gently pressed a kiss to her daughter's head.

"I think it's working." Jack whispered to his wife several minutes later.

"What?" Angela turned her eyes away from the movie to focus on what Jack was saying. "What's working?"

"Look, Jillian is already out and the rest are quieting down."

"The real trick is keeping them asleep while we move them to their beds." Angela replied. "I know our boys won't wake, but Sophie is a light sleeper."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, let's just enjoy the sound of silence."

"You mean the sound of the movie _not _getting drowned out by the kids' chatter?" She joked.

"Precisely." He smiled.

**Sunday**

"Hi Mommy!" Sophie's cheery voice came in clear over the phone. Brennan smiled at the sound of it.

"Hey, Munchkin! Are you having fun at Aunt Angie and Uncle Jack's?"

"Yes! I slept in a tent."

"You did?"

"Yeah, in the backyard. With Trevor."

"Did Jillian and the rest of the boys do that, too?"

"Yeah." Sophie said, clearly only excited because it had been with her pal Trevor. Brennan smiled again. Those two were a riot together.

"What else did you do?" Brennan asked. Sophie continued to tell her mom about what she had been up to with the Hodgins boys. She sounded so happy and excited. Brennan knew she had to be having a great time.

"Sophie, Daddy wants to say hi. Stay on the phone." She instructed her daughter. She handed the phone to Booth and went to lie down on the hotel bed.

"Hey, Soph! I miss you, Sweetheart!" Booth continued to talk to his girl, hearing many of the same stories as Brennan did. After a while, he asked if Sophie could give the phone to Jillian, but Sophie informed him that she was napping. He hung up and decided to take the spot next to his wife. They had a little while before they needed to get back out to the crime scene anyway.

She was facing away from him and when he leaned over her to give her a kiss, his lips felt wetness on her cheek.

"Babe, are you crying?' He asked, wondering what could have happened in the past five minutes to upset her. She didn't respond. "Hey, come here. Turn around."

Brennan rolled over, her face streaked with a few tears and eyes still watery.

"What's the matter? Are you missing the girls?" He asked softly, wiping away the tears on her face very gently.

"It's not just that I miss them, it's that they don't miss me!"

Booth was dumbfounded. "Babe, that's not true."

"Yes it is. Sophie was so happy to be with Trevor and the rest that she doesn't even care that I'm gone."

"Sophie is four. So she may be off having a blast with Trev and the gang in the moment, but when it's bedtime and you're not tucking her in or it's the morning and she doesn't get to sneak into our room and snuggle with you, she's missing you."

"You don't know that for sure." Brennan muttered.

"Yes I do. I know Sophie. Besides, Jilly has probably been miserable this whole time." He teased. Brennan cracked a small smile thinking of their clingy girl, realizing it was probably true.

"Ugh, these stupid hormones!" She groaned. Booth laughed.

"Come on. We gotta go. The sooner we solve this case, the sooner we get to see our girls." Booth said, grabbing his suit jacket off the chair. Brennan checked her reflection in the mirror and fixed her make-up. Soon, they were off to work on the case.

**Wednesday**

Brennan heard the alarm clock go off, but tried to ignore it. Booth turned it off and got out of bed, headed for the shower. Brennan started to fall back to sleep. She would get up later. They had come home and picked up the girls late last night. She just wanted to sleep in a little longer. She felt the covers move and opened her eyes to find Sophie.

"Hey, Baby." She said in a groggy voice.

Sophie snuggled up close to Brennan, who wrapped her arms around the girl.

"I missed you, Mommy." Sophie whispered. Brennan smiled and kissed the top of Sophie's head. "I missed you, too."

**August 2015**

"Mommy, when are we going?" Sophie asked for the hundredth time that morning.

"Soon. Finish your breakfast." She told the girl. Sophie was in such an excited mood, she was making it impossible for anything to get done. Brennan was doing her best to be patient and keep Sophie on task. Parker sped down the stairs and made an abrupt entrance into the kitchen.

"Is this mine?" Parker asked, picking up a brown lunch bag and peaking inside.

"Yes." Brennan answered. Booth came down into the kitchen with Jillian in one arm.

"Bones, have you seen my wallet?" He asked.

"No." She responded quickly, getting breakfast ready for Jillian. "But check the living room."

Booth set Jillian down in her seat and turned to go into the living room and accidentally bumped into Parker.

"Oops, sorry." He mumbled. Parked ignored him and reached for his backpack. Booth paused for a moment.

"Why are you getting ready so soon?" Booth asked him.

"I'm going to take the bus to school today." Parker told him.

"Buddy, you don't have to. I said I would take you."

"Nah, it's fine. I'm going to take the bus." Parker insisted quietly, keeping his eyes from meeting Booth's.

"It's your first day of high school!" Booth clapped his son on the shoulder. "I'll drop you off."

"Thanks, Dad, but I'm all ready and the bus will be here soon so I'll just take it." Parker mumbled and then quickly escaped out the back door. Booth stood there dumbfounded and then turned to Bones.

"What was that all about?" He asked. Bones shot him a sympathetic look, but didn't have the answer either. They didn't have much time to dwell on it. The girls needed to eat and get dressed and then Sophie had to be taken to preschool. It was her first day and she wouldn't let them forget about it.

It wasn't long before Booth was buckling Jillian into her seat and checking to see that Sophie had fastened hers.

"Can you believe she's starting school already?" Booth asked his wife as they drove. Since Parker had taken off without him, he had decided to go with Brennan and the girls instead for the other milestone in the Booth family today. Sophie was chatting with Jillian in the back seat and not paying attention to their grown-up talk.

"Booth, it's preschool. She's not really starting school." Brennan pointed out.

"Yes, but it's a start. Next year is kindergarten. Admit it, Bones, you don't like how fast time flies, either."

Brennan glanced in the back seat at Sophie with her hair neatly brushed and a nice outfit on her. Her little girl was four and starting preschool. It didn't seem all that long ago when she was just a baby and Brennan was figuring out all sorts of new things that motherhood brought. "Ok," She agreed. "Maybe it is all happening a little fast." She rested her hand on her slightly rounded belly. January seemed like it was so far away, but she knew it wouldn't be too long before her youngest was born.

**October 2015**

Parker waved goodbye to his mom as she pulled out of his dad's driveway. He then hiked his bag up on his shoulder and went inside. Sophie was in the living room and greeted him as he entered. He mumbled something to her and moved to go upstairs to his room. Booth came out of the kitchen, arms folded tightly across his chest and a stern look in his eye.

"Parker, in the study. Now." Booth ordered. Parker's eyebrows raised and he had a look of mock innocence on his face.

"Something wrong, Dad?" he asked, as he followed Booth through the house. They reached the study and Booth closed the door behind his son.

"I got a call from your mom yesterday." Booth said, giving his son a disapproving look.

Parker feigned ignorance and shrugged his shoulders. "About what?"

Booth narrowed his eyes. He was really getting sick of Parker's attitude. Between Brennan's raging hormones and Sophie's recent temper tantrums, Parker's misbehavior was just one more thing on the list to put up with. And it was getting old really fast.

"Don't play dumb with me, Parker. I heard about your trip to the principal's office. Is there anything you'd like to explain to me?"

Parker scoffed. "First of all, I think Mr. Schmidt overreacted quite a bit. It's not like a started a fight or anything."

"Parker, that kind of language is inexcusable in any situation!"

Parker rolled his eyes and sighed. "Figures you'd take their side in all of this." He grumbled. Booth was speechless for a moment. Who was this kid in front of him? Parker was kind and respectful. Since when did he start bullying kids and calling them foul names?

"You're grounded." Booth told him.

"No surprise there." Parker mumbled again with an apathetic look on his face. "I'll go to my room right away." He walked past his dad without so much as a glance in his direction and took the stairs two at a time. He closed his bedroom door and locked it behind him. Maybe now he would get some piece and quiet around here. If he was grounded, then maybe they would all leave him alone.

**December 31, 2015**

"One minute to midnight, Bones." Booth said, snaking an arm around his _very _pregnant wife as they enjoyed a party with friends and family. She smiled at him. It was amazing how much could change in one year. At this time last year, they had been dreading the upcoming due date of the child they lost and all the painful feelings that would come with it. They had been trying unsuccessfully for another baby and getting bogged down with the overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Last New Years Eve hadn't held a whole lot of excitement for them. This year was different. They would be welcoming their long-awaited baby in a little over a week. The rest of their kids were healthy and for the most part, happy. They were starting to have trouble with Parker on a regular basis, but Bones chalked that up to the usual stages of adolescence. Booth wasn't so sure. In any case, it seemed to Bones that this upcoming year promised to be a good one for her and for the family.

The countdown to midnight began and Brennan turned love-filled eyes to her husband. He leaned his head down to hers slowly and kissed her lips just as the final second to New Years ticked off. They broke apart as cheers erupted and kids ran screaming through the house with noise-makers in hand.

"Happy New Year, Bones."

**January 8, 2016**

"Daddy, I want to hold him!" Sophie exclaimed, bouncing up and down on one foot.

"Just a minute, Soph. Parker's been waiting a while for a little brother. He gets to hold him first." Booth said as he passed his newborn son, Logan Henry Booth, to his oldest son. Parker was almost fifteen and an experienced older brother. He stared down at his baby brother, who was only hours old. He hadn't been all that excited about the baby's birth. He knew that was bad and he hoped that Logan would never know just how much he had dreaded the thought of another sibling. It was just that each time another baby was born, he felt more and more like an outsider in his dad's family. Now he was nearly fifteen, a freshman in high school, and he had three siblings under the age of five. As much as he loved his new baby brother, the thought saddened him. He wouldn't have the brotherly bond with Logan that most brothers did. After all, he would be an adult in a few years and Logan would still be a little boy. Logan would probably be more like a nephew to Parker with that many years between them.

"Is everything alright, Parker?" Booth asked, noticing the pensive look on Parker's face.

"Yeah, Dad." He said with a deceptive smile. "I've got my brother now."

"Is it my turn yet?" Sophie asked.

"Yes, sit down here and I'll let you hold him." Booth instructed his oldest daughter. Jillian watched with wide eyes, completely mesmerized by the new baby in their lives. Bones could see the realization working its way through Jillian's little head. At two and a half, she was no longer the baby. Brennan pulled Jillian into her lap. "You're still my baby _girl_, Jilly Bean." Brennan whispered to her little one before pressing a kiss to the toddler's cheek. Jillian leaned her head back against Brennan's chest, content to sit and be held. As excited as Brennan was about her new little man, she knew it was going to be a rough adjustment for Jillian, who was so used to being able to cling onto her and have Brennan's constant attention.

**January 15, 2016**

Bones rocked gently with her one-week-old son as she nursed him. She still couldn't believe he was here. It had been a terrifying pregnancy for her with the constant fear of a miscarriage on her mind. The only person who had understood was Booth because she knew he had been feeling the same way. But here they were with Logan Henry. She finally had her son. Sophie was the most enthusiastic about baby Logan. She talked about him constantly to her friends and teachers at preschool and she was always kissing his head or asking to hold him. Brennan ran her hand over the top of his head. It was like peach fuzz. She smiled and stroked his feathery cheek. It was very interesting to observe her little Jillian, her previous baby, step into the roll of 'big sister' with Logan. She had always been a gentle and calm baby, a stark contrast from her older sister, and now she was ever so careful about her little brother and so nurturing.

"Everyone is so glad you are here, little one." Brennan murmured to her infant son. For the first time in a long time, she felt everything in her life was the way it should be.

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**So what did you think? Reviews please! **


	13. Part 2, Chapter 12

**Ok, part 2! the time line is going to do some bigger jumps from now on in between chapters! This chapter takes place nearly three years after the last chapter.  
**

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**Part Two - **Chapter Twelve

**September 5, 2018**

Booth shifted uncomfortably in his seat and watched the ground below him getting closer. He checked his watch for the umpteenth time and determined his flight was late – a fact he was not happy about. Now he braced himself for what was sure to be a rough landing. The pilot so far had done nothing to prove that he was exceptional. Sure enough, a bumpy landing brought the long flight to an end. Booth sighed and glanced out the window at the dark sky as the plane slowly taxied over to its gate. As Booth waited for the fasten seat-belt sign to switch off, giving him permission to leave, his stomach let out a loud growl and the woman next to him gave him an odd look. He tapped his foot impatiently. Starvation clearly wasn't helping his mood. At last, he exited the plane with the throng of people, nudging, bumping, squeezing past. Finally, he was clear of the gate and free from the crowd. It was a long hike through the terminal to baggage claim. When he arrived, he was happy to spot his suitcase immediately and pulled it from the slowly spinning carousel. He had been expecting it to get lost, based on how the day had played out so far. Now to find –

"Booth!"

That oh-so-familiar voice cut through his thoughts. A smile was on his lips even before he could see her. His day of crappy circumstances jumped to the back of his mind. The only thing he could think about was grabbing his wife and planting one on her in the middle of a crowded airport – which is precisely what he did.

Brennan was laughing when they pulled apart. "You really _did_ miss me." She teased.

"You have no idea." He responded with a dismal shake of his head. He kissed her thoroughly once more, to show that he meant it, and then the two began to walk side-by-side with Brennan's arm looped through his.

"Parker is watching the younger ones. I told him we might be late in case you wanted to stop somewhere for food."

"Geez, Bones, it's like you read my mind!" Booth exclaimed, feeling so relieved to be back in DC with this wonderful woman after a week away on FBI business. Brennan laughed again, and leaned her head against his shoulder. She had missed him, too.

* * *

"I see headlights!" Seven-year-old Sophie screamed. Jillian and Logan jumped up from their spots at the kitchen table and scrambled to the window where their older sister stood.

"Yes! It's them! It's them!" Sophie exclaimed, jumping up and down. This was met by excited shouts from the younger two. Parker came in from the living room to tell them to quiet down, but before he had a word out, Sophie and Jillian had rushed past him, headed for the back door. Logan, almost three, was a little slower, but still tried his best to keep up the pace with them. Parker shook his head and gave up. Despite the late hour, there was no containing these kids' excitement. Not that he blamed them; they had good reason.

Booth was grabbing his suitcase from the back of the car when he heard the shouts and turned to see his pajama-clad daughters racing towards him. They were barefoot on the blacktop, but he decided to let it slide this time. Sophie reached him first, flinging herself at him and trusting he would catch her. He grabbed her and pulled her to him. Her arms went around his neck and squeezed tight – in typical Sophie fashion.

"Easy, kiddo." He choked out. She drew back and sent him a beaming smile that resembled Brennan's. He set her back on the ground next to Jillian, who was waiting _oh_-_so_-_patiently_ for her turn. He scooped her up easily and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Something knocked into his shins and he peered around Jillian to see Logan standing at his feet with a goofy grin on his face.

"Hey, Little Man." He put down one kid to grab another. Brennan began ushering the girls into the house and Booth fell into step behind them with Logan in one arm. Parker was inside waiting to greet Booth. At seventeen, he was almost as tall as Booth, but not nearly as filled out.

"Daddy, can you read to us?" Sophie asked the second they were all in the house, still bouncing with energy.

"No," Brennan answered quickly. "It's late. Everyone's tired. We're just tucking you in tonight. No stories."

This was met with a chorus of whines from the three youngest Booths. "We'll read _extra_ stories tomorrow night." Brennan added. It was a good enough deal to silence the girls, but Logan let out a whimper of dissatisfaction. Brennan shot him her _don't push it_ look and that was the end of it.

Sophie, Jillian, and Logan were each tucked in by their terribly missed Daddy before Booth finally fell into bed next to his wife, who was already half-asleep. After looking forward to a good night's sleep, he was irritated beyond belief to wake a few hours later. The room lit up as if the switch had been flipped, but it soon went black and was accompanied by a loud crack and then a boom. A storm was hitting DC tonight of all nights. He knew what was coming. In a matter of seconds, the first kid had arrived in their bed. It was Sophie. She was the lightest sleeper and not at all ashamed to crawl into her parents bed in the middle of the night, even though she was seven. It was never bad with only one child. There was still enough room to pretend she wasn't there and try to fall back asleep. Booth knew it was pointless, though. Logan was next, coming a few minutes after Sophie, carrying his blanket in one arm and crying softly to himself. He squeezed between Sophie and Booth, which would be good in the near future when Jillian wandered in and wanted to be next to Brennan. Sure enough, even their heavy sleeper was also woken by the storm and made her way to her parents' room. She snuggled close to Brennan, who was also up by now. Brennan used to be able to sleep through anything. That was before having kids. She shifted her position to try and fit comfortably with the extra little bodies in the bed. Booth watched in envy as Brennan and the kids fell back to sleep several minutes later. Logan shifted his knees closer to his chest, inadvertently jabbing Booth in the side. If Booth scooted any further, he would be off the bed. This was going to be a long night.

A repetitive sound woke Booth from his not-so-deep sleep. At first, he thought it was an alarm, but as his thoughts became more coherent from waking, he realized it was his phone and quickly grabbed it before the call went to voicemail.

"Hello?" He answered in a groggy voice. "No, I'm up." He felt the bed jostle and glanced over to see Brennan on her side, propped up on one elbow with her eyes on him. In the middle of the bed, Sophie began to stir from sleep also.

"Yeah. Ok, thanks." He hung up and turned back to Brennan. "We've got a case, Bones."

"I'll call the sitter." was her instant reply.

"I'll make the coffee." He grumbled. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**September 18, 2018**

"Sophie! Jillian! Let's go!" Booth hollered up the stairs and then checked his watch again. Little feet thundered down the stairs seconds later. Sophie appeared, dressed in her baseball uniform.

"I can't find my glove." She informed him. Booth sighed. She probably hadn't started looking for it until a few minutes ago when they were already pressed for time.

"Go check the garage." He told her. She scurried off so Booth went in search of Jillian. Both girls had their first games of the season today. Jillian was starting T-ball for the first time, which had both parents a little apprehensive because Jillian was their gentle little soul, but she had wanted to try it because Sophie had done it. Booth found Jillian in her room, struggling with her long socks for T-ball.

"Need some help, Jilly bean?" He offered, crouching next to her. She looked up at him with defeated eyes and propped her foot on his knee.

"Daddy?" She asked cautiously as Booth fixed the twisted sock.

"What, Baby?" He wondered what was coming.

"Sophie says I won't be any good at T-ball." She admitted softly. "Because I'm too much of a scaredy cat."

Booth took the information in stride. He clearly needed to have a talk with Sophie about encouraging others, but that would have to wait. Right now, Jillian needed his reassurance. He looked into her big, brown eyes that mirrored his own.

"Jilly, you're going to do great." He told her with a smile. "I know because you've been doing great in practice. This is going to be something new for you, but that's nothing to worry about. Just try it and see if you like it. If you don't, we won't be upset. If you do, your mom and I will be there to encourage you the whole way."

Jillian smiled slightly, but still seemed a little nervous.

"Alright, now we have to scoot or we're going to be late! Let's go find Sophie." They both got to their feet and Jillian slipped her hand in his as they went down the stairs.

* * *

"Let's go, Jilly!" Booth cheered as Jillian stepped up to bat for her first time in the game. He watched her swing and hit the ball off the tee on the first try. It didn't go very far, but that was alright. Jillian dropped the bat and took off running. Booth had never seen her run so fast, even in practice. And she just kept running without even looking to see where the ball was. Booth began to wonder when exactly she was going to stop until one of her coaches told her to just as she reached second base.

"Way to go, Jilly!" Booth hollered. She looked over at him and grinned. He sent her a thumbs up. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned to see Brennan standing behind him with Logan. "Want to switch? Sophie's holding her own against the boys. It's very fun to watch."

"Yeah, sure. You gotta see Jillian run. She's a speed demon. Maybe she'll do alright in tee ball after all."

Brennan took a seat on the bleachers to watch Jillian's game and pulled Logan into her lap. It was a chilly afternoon so the two snuggled under a blanket. Booth headed to the next field to see Sophie in action. She was one of two girls on her team, opting to play baseball instead of softball. The choice had been a good one for her. At this age, the boys didn't mind having girls on their teams, especially since Sophie and the other girl were very talented players.

Booth stayed for the rest of Sophie's game and waited patiently for her coach to finish up the team huddle. Sophie at last emerged with her glove tucked under one arm and a juice box in her other hand. She sprinted that last few feet to her dad.

"Did you see me catch that fly ball, Daddy?"

"I did! You were great out there, kiddo. Let's go find Mom, Jilly, and Logan."

"Can we grab ice cream, Daddy? Please?" She pleaded.

"It's too cold!" Booth said with a laugh.

"It's never too cold for ice cream." Sophie argued. Booth laughed again and was about to agree, but his phone went off.

"Booth." He answered. "… yeah. Ok, I'm on my way." He hung up and looked down at Sophie, who already had a disappointed look on her face.

"You have to go to work, don't you?" She guessed.

"Yes, but we'll grab ice cream sometime this week, ok?" He told her, giving her ponytail a playful tug.

"Ok."

Booth looked up and noticed Bones and his youngest kids walked towards them. Brennan was on the phone. She was finding out about the case, too. They shared a mutual look from a far. Time to drop the kids off and get to work on a new case. So much for family time on a Saturday.

* * *

"A father and son were fishing and the son reeled in a hand." An officer on the scene filled in Booth and Bones as they arrived.

"Oh, that's gonna ruin an afternoon of father/son bonding." Booth commented.

"We've been retrieving the rest of the remains from the bottom of the lake for the past hour."

Brennan walked over to the human remains laid out on the ground near the water. She took one look and grimaced. Booth caught it.

"What is it?"

"Female. She was young, between the ages of 10-13."

Booth shook his head. A kid. He hated when it was a kid. Brennan sent him a look that she understood, she was feeling the same way. "Let's get these remains sent back to the Jeffersonian." Brennan told the crew.

* * *

"I found out the girl's identity." Angela informed the team back at the lab. It had only taken about ten minutes to find out once Angela had done the facial reconstruction. Brennan and an intern were examining the body on the platform, but paused from their work to listen to Angela. "That was fast." Brennan commented.

"Yeah, well you'll see why in a moment." Angela pulled up a picture on one of the screens of a smiling girl with long blonde hair and green eyes.

"Oh my god, that's Olivia Novak." Cam blurted, recognizing the photo at once. It had been plastered all over the news for weeks. "The eleven-year-old girl that went missing several months ago."

"Yes." Angela said. "To refresh everyone's memory, Olivia Novak was abducted on her way home from school one afternoon. The search for her was extensive, but there were few leads and nothing ever came of it."

"Until now." Brennan added.

"The press is going to be all over this case." Cam commented. "Have we found cause of death yet?"

"I've found several marks on the bones that suggest her hands and feet were bound for an extensive length of time. In addition, there are signs of that she was …" Brennan paused, took a deep breath, and continued. "The fractures to her ribs and ulna look consistent with someone that's been beaten with a blunt object, but we haven't found cause of death yet."

* * *

Booth walked into his home after a long and rather difficult day at work. The mood was always more somber when a case involved a child. All he could think about was his own children and how he couldn't imagine going through what Olivia Novak's parents went through and were going through right now. He never wanted to be in their shoes.

"Hi, Daddy." Jillian was the first to greet him. He picked her up and cradled her close. He never wanted to let go. Jillian rested her head on his shoulder, but after a moment, popped her head back up and looked at him.

"Daddy? This is a long hug…" She pointed out. He kissed her cheek but wouldn't release his hold on her.

"Hugs can _never_ be too long, Jilly Bean." He teased, trying to lighten his mood.

"Even if you hugged forever and ever and ever?" She asked, giggling at the notion. "And never let go?"

"Even then." He told her.

"Now _that_ is a long hug!" Jillian exclaimed.

Booth smiled and pressed one final kiss to her cheek before setting her back on her feet. Brennan was still working late at the lab. Booth started getting dinner ready. It would be just him and the kids tonight. When everything was done, Booth called all the kids down for dinner. He helped Logan into his booster seat and swatted Sophie's hand away from digging into the food before prayer. The word "Amen" was barely said before Parker dropped a bombshell.

"I want to go to the Air Force Academy."

Booth blinked. Sophie's brows furrowed together in confusion.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Whoa, back up." Booth interrupted. "You want to go to the Air Force Academy? I thought you wanted to go to University of DC? How… how long have you been thinking about this?"

Parker fiddled with his fork. He could tell by his father's tone that this wasn't an option he approved of. "A while, I guess."

"Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because I figured you'd try to talk me out of it." He admitted.

Booth sighed. He never regretted his career choices for himself, but he never wanted Parker in the military or law enforcement.

"I don't know about this, Parker…" Booth began. Parker shook his head.

"Dad, I'm seventeen." Parker pointed out. "In less than two years, I'll be graduating high school. I'm not a kid. I've done my research and I know what it would mean to go there. I know it'll be a challenge, but it's what I want. A regular college that leads to a regular 9-to-5 job…" Parker shrugged. "It's not for me."

"Well, we still have plenty of time to discuss this." Booth said, feeling the timing of Parker's announcement hadn't been ideal. Parker turned his attention back to his food, interpreting his father's words to mean Booth wasn't done trying to talk him out of it. Booth directed the conversation to the younger kids, asking them about school. As they talked, Booth glanced at his oldest, who wasn't paying attention. Parker really wasn't a kid anymore. Booth knew that. Just looking at him, he could already see the fine young man he was. But he still wanted to protect him, to keep him from seeing wars and the unspeakable horrors that come with it, and to keep him from such a risky occupation. He couldn't deny him that choice, though. Parker was smart, determined, and mature, and he would have to make his own life choices for himself soon. There was only so much Booth could do as a parent to an almost-grown man.

* * *

It was late by the time Brennan finally made it home from the lab. She grabbed some food from the fridge and dropped into a kitchen chair. Parker walked in.

"Long day?" He asked.

Brennan nodded. "We got a new case this afternoon. I've been examining the remains of an eleven-year-old girl all day." Brennan rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"That's rough." Parker said, pausing only for a moment before posing his next question. "Did you always know you wanted to be a forensic anthropologist?" He asked, switching subjects. Brennan was grateful for the change. The last thing she wanted to think of right now was the case.

"Not always, but I guess I started to figure it out in high school. I knew what I was interested in and what I was good at, I just had to figure out what career suited those interests and talents. Although, I never saw myself solving crimes. That was all your father's work, dragging me into it." She smiled then, remembering how it all started.

"I want to go to Air Force Academy." Parker confided.

Brennan took the news in stride. Of the adults in his life, Brennan was always the one Parker could never figure out. He watched her closely, wondering what reaction he would get out of her.

"The Air Force, huh?"

Parker nodded. "It's what I want to do. I've been thinking about it for a while."

"I think you would do well at the Academy." Brennan said after a moment. Parker's face broke into a smile, but it only lasted for a moment.

"My dad didn't take the news well." He admitted. "And I already know my mom will be against it when I tell her."

"Your dad just doesn't want to have his son in a potentially dangerous vocation. That's all it is."

"I know, but I was kind of hoping he'd be just a little bit proud of me." Parker said quietly.

"Parker, your dad is proud of you. That's never been in question. Just give him some time to come around to the idea." Brennan advised him. Parker nodded.

"Ok, I will. Thanks, Bones." He said, turning to leave the room.

"Goodnight, Parker."

Bones put her plate in the sink and went upstairs to bed. As she laid down and closed her eyes, the image of young Olivia Novak's decomposed body filled her head. She felt a new serge of conviction to bring justice to the girl and her family. Brennan had been studying the bones for hours. She knew the girl had been musician, a violin player to be exact. She also knew how the killer had hurt her, bludgeoning her over and over again, and how the killer had starved her. A chill went down Brennan's spine. These types of cases were so much more difficult to compartmentalize after she became a mother. She pictured her own sweet babies and knew she would do anything to bring this case to an end so that no other children would have to die at the hands of Olivia Novak's killer.

* * *

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